Harry Potter and the Golden Bell
by Meredith A. Jones
Summary: COMPLETE Harry Potter finds himself face to face with Lord Voldemort without even knowing it. Read the sequel: HPGB2: Secrets of the Bell
1. The Dream

Disclaimer – Harry Potter and all associated characters and stuff like that are property of JK Rowling and Warner Bros. And all that so...yeah. Okay, read the story.  
  
Harry Potter and the Golden Bell  
  
Chapter 1  
  
The Dream  
  
Harry Potter sat in the Gryffindor Common Room. He was alone that night; Ron and Hermione had both gone home for Christmas. Harry had decided to stay at the school; there was no reason to go back to the Dursley's and suffer through a week of torment from his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and his very overweight cousin, Dudley. Harry got comfy in front of the fire on the couch and opened a book. He got only a few pages into it when he heard a loud CRACK! from in front of him. He looked up quickly to see what it was. He noticed that a log had fallen out of its place in the fire and went back to his book. It was quiet for a while until he heard a low rumbling sound. It got louder and louder as if it was coming closer. Harry dropped his book, stood up, and looked around. The room started shaking violently and his scar started burning like the last time he was near the Dark Lord, Voldemort. The glass in one of the windows above him on the wall burst into the room and fell on him. Harry scrambled for the stairs to the boys' dormitories. He tripped on the stairs and fell on his stomach. He lay there a while and then picked up his head. He saw a large figure coming through the window. The rumbling slowed down, but his scar was still burning and his heart was in his throat. He couldn't see much as he was blinded by the pain on his forehead and his glasses fell off when he tripped. He squinted at the figure and tried to find out what or who it was. It started coming closer to him breathing loudly. It hovered over him and whispered: "Lord Voldemort has risen again...beware the golden bell...beware, Harry Potter, beware..."  
  
"No, no, no, no, NO!" Harry shook himself awake and sat up in his four poster breathing heavily. He felt a shot of pain surge through his forehead, groaned and laid back down. Ron tore open the curtains with a look of panic on his face.  
  
"What's wrong Harry? Are you allright? You started screaming!" Harry shook his head.  
  
"It was just another dream. Don't worry about it. Go back to sleep, Ron," said Harry, trying to get rid of the image in his mind.  
  
"Are you sure you're allright?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Go back to sleep."  
  
"Allright...night, Harry."  
  
"Night, Ron." 


	2. The Golden Bell

Harry Potter and the Golden Bell  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The Golden Bell  
  
The sunlight shone though the windows of the boys' dormitories. Harry opened his eyes. He no longer felt any pain in his forehead. Then, after a few minutes, he noticed that everything was quiet. No one was in the dormitory. Harry opened the curtains and got out of bed. He started down the stairs to the common room and looked around. He looked up at the window that had broken in his dream and then at the clock. It was already 10:00! Harry raced back upstairs and threw on his clothes and robes. He grabbed his potions book and ran down the stairs and out the door of the common room. He ran down the hall through Nearly Headless Nick, and all the way down the stairs to the dungeons where he tore open the door to his Potions class and stopped. Everyone had turned around to look at him. He saw Hermione and Ron look at each other and then back at him. Professor Snape had a sinister look on his face and was glaring straight at Harry. Harry looked around the room and his eyes landed on Malfoy, who was sitting in the corner smirking. Professor Snape slowly walked up the hall towards Harry and stopped dead in front of him. Harry was still catching his breath and couldn't keep his breathing quiet.  
  
"Mr. Potter. This is the third time this week that you have been late for class."  
  
"I know, Professor. I'm sorry." Snape raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Sorry?" The whole room went silent. "You have detention tomorrow with me. Right here." Harry looked at Malfoy who was snickering.  
  
"Potter." Harry looked back at Snape. "Take your seat." Harry walked to his seat next to Ron and put his book on the table.  
  
"What's up, Harry?" whispered Ron, "You missed breakfast again."  
  
"I told you about my dream last night, Ron." Ron looked confused.  
  
"No you didn't, Harry."  
  
"Yes I did. Remember? You opened my curtains after I woke up and you..." Harry's voice trailed off when he noticed that Ron had no idea what he was talking about.  
  
"Never mind," said Harry giving up.  
  
"I heard that Anna-Nicole Ginnesbrook likes you, Harry," said Hermione as they walked down the hall to lunch.  
  
"Where'd you hear that?" asked Ron.  
  
"Parvati Patil. She said that she was talking with her sister and a few other girls from Ravenclaw and Anna-Nicole brought you up. Then, they all started talking about you." Harry didn't really care. His eyes were on his feet. He was trying to figure out his dream. What did beware the golden bell mean? And why didn't Ron remember talking with him in the middle of the night? None of it made any sense.  
  
"Well, how do you know she's not telling a lie? Maybe she's the one that likes Harry. She's probably just getting herself off the hook," said Ron.  
  
"Do I sense a tinge of jealousy?" hinted Hermione.  
  
"Jealous? Me? Why would I be jealous? Only every girl in the school is swooning over Harry, and not me. There's no reason whatsoever to be jealous." Hermione smirked and looked at Harry.  
  
"What's the matter, Harry?"  
  
"Hm?" Harry looked over at Hermione and he noticed that the three of them had stopped walking.  
  
"You've been like a zombie all day," said Ron.  
  
"I'm just trying to figure something out. I had this dream last night. It was Christmas vacation and I was alone in the common room. Someone came through the window and my scar started hurting. Then, they came over to me and told me to beware the golden bell. After that, I woke up and you opened the curtains to my four poster and asked me if I was allright, then you went back to sleep. You said you heard me screaming."  
  
"I told you, Harry. I didn't hear anything last night, nor did I talk to you," said Ron with the same confused look on his face. Harry stopped walking and let his two friends go on without him. Harry couldn't go on to Divination while he had something to figure out. He turned around and found himself face-to-face with Anna-Nicole. She looked obviously startled and immediately blushed.  
  
"Hi, Harry..." she said looking down. Harry looked over her shoulder to see Draco Malfoy leaning against the wall with a smirk on his face some ways down the corridor. Harry looked back at Anna-Nicole and by that time, she was gazing deep into his eyes. He frowned disgustedly at her.  
  
"Hi, Anna-Nicole," he said wiping the frown off his face quickly.  
  
"Lovely day, isn't it?" she asked him quite breathy.  
  
"Yes...lovely day. Well, I have to get to uh...Divination. I'll talk to you later, allright?" Harry moved to the side of her and continued the other way.  
  
"But, Divination is the other way," said Anna-Nicole  
  
"Oh...right," Harry said, turning around. He looked over his shoulder at Malfoy and gave him a heavy glare.  
  
"I'm going to Transfiguration...do you want to walk together?" she asked. Harry looked back at her. "Sure," he said. He would have to wait on his dream. He couldn't make a fool of himself in front of Malfoy. Harry weakly smiled at Anna-Nicole and they walked together down the corridor.  
  
Harry barely made it to Divination. Professor Trelawney was just starting the class. With her extremely bad eyes, it would have been a wonder if she saw him sneak in.  
  
"Where did you go, Harry?" whispered Hermione as soon as Harry sat down and put his books on the floor, "Honestly, you've been acting quite strange lately."  
  
"I'll tell you after class," said Harry, looking at Professor Trelawney as if he had been there paying attention the whole time.  
  
"Trelawney's really into it today, Harry. You missed it - She almost blew up poor Neville." Ron laughed to himself.  
  
"That wasn't funny, Ronald! She could have really hurt him!" snapped Hermione.  
  
"It was still funny," said Ron, looking away from Hermione. Harry smiled to himself. He was sure this argument would continue after class. Professor Trelawney and a few other students came around with small bowls filled with water and some black glop. Harry looked into his bowl when Lavender Brown placed one in front of him, Ron, and Hermione.  
  
"Well look at that," Ron laughed, "She's going to teach us to read tobacco leaves today!" Hermione gave him a death glare. Ron just looked at her and laughed. Hermione shook her head, giving up. It was no use trying to calm Ron down. He'd just keep laughing until you left him alone. Harry snickered to himself and stopped when Hermione looked at him. He fixed his gaze on Professor Trelawney until Ron looked at him and started laughing. Then, Harry started laughing.  
  
"Honestly!" Hermione exclaimed. She grabbed her Divination book and thrust it onto the table in front of her almost making their three bowls jump off the table and crash to the floor.  
  
"Everyone open to page 134," said Professor Trelawney. She paused while everyone took out their textbooks and flipped to the page. When every book was silent, she began speaking.  
  
"Today, we are going to learn how to read burnt fennel," she began.  
  
"Tobacco," said Ron with a snicker. Harry covered his mouth and Hermione rolled her eyes trying to ignore them both.  
  
"The way to get your reading is very simple. Lift your wands over your bowl and chant the incantation, herbus scribus and tap the bowl twice. Will everyone try that? No one tap the bowls." The whole class chanted, "herbus scribus" and set their wands back down on the tables.  
  
"Very good. Now, can anyone tell me what it means if you have the silver sword in your cup of fennel?" Without giving the page so much as a glance, Hermione's hand shot up for the answer.  
  
"The silver sword..." Harry repeated to himself. He raised his hand.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Potter?" said Professor Trelawney. She had obviously grown tired of calling on Hermione every time she asked the class a question.  
  
"Just curious...what is the golden bell?" asked Harry. Professor Trelawney looked at Harry for a while and then walked over to him.  
  
"Where did you hear of the golden bell?" asked Professor Trelawney. She had a slight sound of panic in her voice. The whole room went silent and Harry felt as though he had interrupted the class and had made a terrible mistake in asking the question. Harry looked around and then back at Professor Trelawney. What would he say? He couldn't tell her his dream. She would go blabbing to Dumbledore thus creating a big commotion. No one needed to know. Just Harry. All eyes were on him; he could feel it.  
  
"U-uh...around. I just wondered what it meant. Is it an omen or something?"  
  
Professor Trelawney inched closer to Harry and almost in a whisper began: "Long, long ago, before any of us were on this Earth, there was a little boy about your age. He was a good boy...he would always do his chores and obey his mother. One day, his dad gave him a little gold bell. He said to ring it whenever he was in danger and either his mother or his father would come and see what was wrong. Well, the boy took that bell and went out to play in the woods. As soon as he got out there, a man in black robes came to him and reached out his hand to him. The man's hand was gray and blistered. As soon as the boy saw the man, he started frantically ringing the bell and calling for his parents. By the time the parents got to the scene, all that was found of the boy was his arm and the golden bell in his hand. Etched across the boy's arm in a bloody cut was: Beware the Golden Bell."  
  
"Allright!" exclaimed Ron throwing up his arms. "I'm not eating dinner tonight!" After that, no one talked for the rest of the hour. They would have to get their readings the next day. 


	3. Payback

Harry Potter and the Golden Bell  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Payback  
  
"Harry what happens if you get the golden bell tomorrow?" asked Hermione anxiously once they were halfway to Care of Magical Creatures.  
  
"Yeah," said Ron, "Trelawney never told us what it actually meant. It probably means death or something. But of course, you're used to that, Harry. Whenever we do anything like that in class, that's all you ever get; an omen of death."  
  
"Thanks, Ron. I really needed to be reminded," said Harry. It didn't effect him much. It was true. After all, he had the Grim, an omen of death, in his tea leaves in his 3rd year at Hogwarts. By now, he was used to bad omens in Divination. The scary thing was that sometimes they were true.  
  
"I think everyone's going to enjoy today's class!" Hagrid exclaimed once they were outside, "I've got a great lesson planned for today!"  
  
"He always says that," said Ron, "You'd think he'd have the mind to think up something else." As the class followed Hagrid into the woods with their books, Malfoy came up behind Harry.  
  
"Oi - Potter!" Harry turned around and Malfoy caught up with him.  
  
"How's your girlfriend - that Anna-Nicole girl? She lost her mind lately from seeing you?"  
  
"Just go away, Malfoy."  
  
"No."  
  
Harry stopped walking and turned to look at Malfoy. "Leave me alone," he said and began walking again.  
  
"And what if I don't? What are you going to do, Potter? Give me a matching scar?" called Malfoy from behind him. Harry stopped again and looked over his shoulder and then turned around and started walking towards him. Hermione stopped Ron and walked over to Malfoy and stepped in front of Harry.  
  
"The amazing thing is that you have such a small mind (Malfoy raised his eyebrows) that you need to insult Harry to make up for it," she said with a slight edge to her voice.  
  
"The amazing thing is that you have such a dirty family that you need to be so smart and get into everyone else's business to make up for it," replied Malfoy arrogantly. There was a very short pause and Hermione knee'ed him between his legs. Hard. Ron cringed and shook his head.  
  
"Poor stupid git," he said. He, Harry, and Hermione left Malfoy crying in pain and met Hagrid and the rest of the class in the same clearing in the woods where Hagrid showed the class Buckbeak 3rd year. What Hagrid had this time for the class was a little smaller than Buckbeak and was one of the most beautiful creatures that Harry had ever seen. Even after what had happened with Malfoy, it was easy to smile at the beast. The animal was blue in color; a little lighter than the color of the sky. It looked like a horse, but was smaller and more graceful, with a long horn sticking out of its head.  
  
"A unicorn," said Harry incredulously, "How did you ever manage to get one? They're extremely hard to catch and are often never seen."  
  
"It's not a unicorn, Harry. It's a Kirin," said Hermione, "They're slightly smaller in size than a unicorn."  
  
"That's right, Hermione," said Hagrid, "Originating in Japan, Kirin are very gentle beasts - depending on who yeh are. This creature protects the good. If yeh are a good person, seeing a Kirin is good luck. However, Kirin punish the wicked with its horn." Hagrid gestured to the long horn on the Kirin's head. Malfoy, who had obviously recovered, snorted at this. Hermione turned around, glared at him, and looked at Ron.  
  
"You would think he would have learned something from me. I hope he becomes a bloody shish-kabob." Ron smiled and looked at Harry.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" he laughed. Harry, who had been smiling happily at the Kirin, looked at Ron, noticed how foolish he was acting, and wiped it off his face. Ron shook his head smiling.  
  
"Now," said Hagrid clapping his hands together, "I'm going ter bring Nadia through all of yehs and see how she acts toward each of yeh. She's on a tight rope, so if she tries to get any of yeh with 'er horn, she can't. Now to start off, I'm going ter give everyone a few Mandrake leaves. Kirin like Mandrake leaves. If she starts actin' funny towards yeh, hold them out to her and she'll calm down a bit." Hagrid passed a basket of Mandrake leaves around. "Everyone take 5 and pass it on. That's right." When the basket got back to Hagrid, he went to the tree that Nadia was tied to and undid the knot. He held firmly to the rope and led Nadia from person to person. Neville was first. Nadia sniffed him and then gave him a confused look, then put her head down pointing her horn straight at him and stepped forward. Neville forced everything within him to stay calm. He waited until he could feel the sharp horn of the Kirin against his forehead to give her his Mandrake leaves. Everyone was relieved when Nadia backed off and went to Ron. She let out a loud shriek that startled most everyone, especially Ron, and looked at him happily. She sniffed his Mandrake leaves and Ron willingly gave them up.  
  
"Here...here take them and leave me alone. Bloody hell..." A few kids laughed as Nadia went to Harry. Then, she did a strange thing. She sat down in front of him and looked up at him with a content look on her face.  
  
"She's lettin' yeh pet her, Harry! Go ahead and pet her. Very gently though. Don't want her ter get scared." Harry held out his hand to Nadia and pet her mane slowly. She was a very beautiful animal. Her icy blue eyes staring up with him in admiration. Harry almost wondered if Nadia knew just who he was. The Kirin made a calm whinnying sound. Harry smiled and kneeled down in front of her. He gave her his Mandrake leaves and she accepted them happily. Everyone watched in awe as the creature ate the Mandrake leaves and sniffed him for more. She sniffed his head and his hair stuck up when her nose was above it.  
  
"I don't have any more!" Harry laughed. Malfoy shoved out of the crowd.  
  
"Allright, it's my turn. Go ahead, ya big beast. Try me." Nadia stood up and beat her hooves on the ground fiercely.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy! Don't!" yelled Hagrid. But it was too late. Nadia had growled and that had sent a terrified look over Malfoy's face. Malfoy screamed and ran through the forest, Nadia running behind. The rope connected to her had slipped from Hagrid's hand and he was running after Nadia and Malfoy.  
  
"HELP! HELP! GET THE BLOODY THING AWAY FROM ME! GET IT AWAY! AAAAHHHH!!!" The whole class ran after the angry Kirin, the determined Hagrid, and at the head, the horror-struck Malfoy.  
  
"haHA! Brilliant! Just brilliant!" Ron was yelling. "That'll teach him good! If only Hermione had a long horn on her head, maybe she could change Malfoy a bit." Harry laughed and continued after the rest of the group next to Hermione who was now making an effort to catch Ron. After a long time of running, Malfoy, who had been sweating for a long time, jumped into a small cave to catch his breath. Nadia couldn't fit her whole body in the cave and Malfoy knew he was safe. The angry Kirin poked her nose into the cave and sniffed Malfoy's tattered robes. He let out a little squeak and began screaming at the top of his lungs. Hagrid's loud voice thundered over his screams.  
  
"MALFOY, U BIG CHICKEN! COME OUTTA THERE!" All of the Gryffindors laughed. Most of the Slytherins grimaced, and Malfoy yelled: "NO!" Hagrid grabbed the rope on Nadia and pulled her away from the cave and tied her to a tree away from it. Hagrid bent down and poked his head into the cave.  
  
"She's gone now," he said calmly and stood back up. Malfoy came out of the cave and crossed his arms. He looked at Nadia and sneered. Nagini screamed and pounded her hooves on the ground. Malfoy walked over to her and held out his Mandrake leaves. He still had a huge frown on his face, but it was odd to see him act so nicely to something that just chased him through a forest. After Nadia finished with the Mandrake leaves, there was a long pause and he smacked her on the head. Hagrid, with a look of horror on his face, picked him up around the middle and carried him, yelling and cursing, back to the castle.  
  
"The lesson's over, everyone. Get your things and go to your next class," said Hagrid over his shoulder to everyone else. He stopped and turned around.  
  
"Harry? I'm going to trust you to bring Nadia back to the clearing for the next class. Can you do that?"  
  
"Yeah...sure," said Harry and nodded. Hagrid smiled, turned around, and continued walking. He said something to Malfoy, who screamed.  
  
"That was rich. Remind me to thank Hagrid at dinner," said Ron, smiling ear to ear. Hermione was even smiling a little bit.  
  
"Come on, guys. We have to take Nadia back," said Harry and went over to the tree where Hagrid had put her. The loop around the tree was very high, because of Hagrid's height, so Ron, the tallest, undid it for Harry. Harry took the rope and held out his hand to Hermione, who gave him her Mandrake leaves. Harry fed them to Nadia and the four of them walked back up to the castle. 


	4. The Owl From No One

Harry Potter and the Golden Bell  
  
Chapter 4  
  
The Owl From Noone  
  
"Hey Hagrid," said Ron approaching the staff table, Hermione following behind. She grabbed the back of his robes once he got up there and started tugging him away.  
  
"Hey stop it! (he turned back to Hagrid) Thanks for what you did today in Care of Magical Creatures." Hagrid smiled and Professor McGonagall next to him, looked at him as if to ask, "What did happen in Care of Magical Creatures today?" but she didn't.  
  
"No problem, Ron. It's all part of the job." he winked at Ron, who looked at McGonagall and smiled.  
  
"Good evening Professor," he said politely.  
  
"Good evening Mr. Weasley," she said with a small smile on her face.  
  
"Come on!" prompted Hermione, pulling Ron away from the staff table and back to the Gryffindor table. She put him down on the bench next to Harry and then sat on the other side of Ron. Harry looked at Hagrid and Professor McGonagall who were now talking. Professor McGonagall said something with a curious expression on her face and Hagrid said something back with a big smile on his face. Professor McGonagall smiled and looked back at her dinner.  
  
"Hagrid just lied to McGonagall about Care of Magical Creatures today," said Harry to Hermione.  
  
"Well that's his problem. If she finds out what really happened, Hagrid will be in trouble," she said back.  
  
Harry had slept well the night before. No dreams. He was very glad as he was tired of waking up in the middle of the night because of a nightmare and going back to sleep only to have another one. He got out of bed, woke up Ron, got dressed and went downstairs into the common room. Neville was sitting on the couch with his wand in his hand trying to flip a knut over with it with little success. He managed to make it fly off the table and hit Harry in the eye, though.  
  
"Oh! Sorry, Harry!" said Neville. Harry picked up the knut and gave it back to Neville.  
  
"It's allright," he said. Hermione came down from her dormitory and looked at Harry.  
  
"Come on! We're going to be late for breakfast! Where's Ronald?"  
  
"He's upstairs getting dressed. Hopefully," said Harry. Ron came downstairs dressed. Harry looked at his feet and smiled. Ron looked down and threw up his arms. He had forgotten to put on his socks. He quickly went upstairs and put on his socks and shoes and went back down stairs with a frustrated look on his face.  
  
"Come on, let's just go," he said. And, he, Harry, Neville, and Hermione left through the portrait hole and went down to the Great Hall.  
  
Halfway through breakfast, a thousand owls flew through the window with parcels on their feet. Harry looked up and looked for Hedwig. Sure enough, his big snowy owl came flying down to him and held out his leg. Harry detached the parcel from Hedwig's leg and unwrapped it. Ron looked up from a letter from his mother and looked over Harry's shoulder at his.  
  
"Who's that from?"  
  
"I don't know, there's no name," said Harry. He read aloud:  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
Meet me at the Shrieking Shack today at 1:00.  
  
Please come alone. Thank you, Harry.  
  
Anonymus  
  
"Sounds like Anna-Nicole to me," said Hermione, overhearing. Harry looked at her with a little smile on his face. He looked over at the Ravenclaw table and saw Anna-Nicole looking at him. She quickly spun around once she noticed he saw her.  
  
"She's lookin' at you, Harry," said Ron.  
  
"Yeah I know," said Harry looking back at his two friends. He played with his pancakes and then decided to eat one.  
  
"Do you like her, Harry?" asked Ron anxiously, leaning closer. Harry shrugged.  
  
"I don't even know her. I just know that she acts strange around me."  
  
"A lot of people act strange around you. You should be used to it by now," said Ron.  
  
"Yeah I know...but even if she does...you know...ask me out today, I don't know what I'm going to say. I don't think I'm ready to have a girlfriend yet.  
  
"Harry, you're 15 years old and you're always moping about with no goal in life," piped up Hermione, "I think it'll do you good to have a girlfriend."  
  
"I don't know...the truth is...I'm not very good with girls," said Harry. Ron snorted. "Well, did you see what happened with me and Cho last year? I ruined our date and she wouldn't talk to me! I still haven't got her to say more than two words to me yet." Hermione sighed.  
  
"Whatever, Harry. You make the decision," said Hermione putting a piece of bacon on her fork and putting it in her mouth.  
  
"What time are we going to Hogsmeade?" asked Ron, trying to steer the conversation away from Anna-Nicole. It didn't take much effect, because Harry just sighed, put his elbow on the table, and his head in his hand. Hermione looked from Harry to Ron. "10:00. That gives us about a half an hour to get ready. I'm going upstairs, myself, and getting my money and my good shoes on. I suggest you do the same." Hermione stood up from her chair. "I'm going with Parvati and Padma, so you two will be on your own. I actually had some second thoughts about this, but I decided you're both old enough and mature enough to carry on by yourselves."  
  
"Allright, allright, Hermione. We don't need a lecture. We'll be fine, allright?" said Ron, "Don't spend all your time worrying about us," he said sarcastically. Hermione shifted from Ron to Harry twice.  
  
"I'll meet you both at Honeyduke's at 12:50. Be there then. I want to see Harry before he leaves to talk to Anna-Nicole." The both of them nodded.  
  
"Allright, then. See you," she said. And with that, she left down the aisle to the door to the Great Hall.  
  
That's all I have so far. I'll be writing more!!! LEAVE ME LOTS OF  
REVIEWS!! R/R! 


	5. The Shrieking Shack

Harry Potter and the Golden Bell  
  
Chapter 5  
  
The Shrieking Shack  
  
Harry and Ron talked the whole way to Hogsmeade. Harry had stopped worrying about Anna-Nicole and had his heart set on some joke wands from Zonko's. He was planning on giving one to Hermione in Charms and blaming it on Ron when it turns into a frog and hops onto Professor Flitwick's head.  
  
Everything seemed so much more free (and quiet) without Hermione, though both Harry and Ron were sure that at that moment she was talking to Parvati and Padma about leaving them alone. She didn't do it often as she was afraid of what might happen if she did.  
  
"What time is it, Ron?" Harry had been constantly asking this for the last half hour - since Ron mentioned Anna-Nicole - and it was starting to drive Ron nuts. And, every time Ron told him, Harry would moan like a dying hippogriff.  
  
"Crikey, Harry. It's only quarter to eleven. Honestly, stop asking!" Harry moaned yet again.  
  
"What, don't you want to see her?" asked Ron.  
  
"Does this look like I want to see her?" Harry turned to Ron pointing at his face. He had the most distressed, nervous expression that Ron had ever seen on Harry.  
  
"Calm down, Harry!" Ron laughed, "You're going to be fine."  
  
"I'm not going to be fine. I'm nervous. I get nervous when I have to talk to girls. Very nervous." Harry was shaking and his palms were sweaty.  
  
"You don't act like this around Hermione," said Ron. He sat on a bench outside of 'The Three Broomsticks'. Harry sat next to him.  
  
"Well Hermione's..." Ron looked at him. "...Hermione." Ron smiled.  
  
"Well, come on then. Let's go into 'The Three Broomsticks' for a firewhiskey."  
  
"Ron, this isn't the time for firewhiskey!" said Harry a little louder. Ron just smiled wider.  
  
"Oh, but it is."  
  
Harry staggered out of the bar and tripped over his own feet onto the ground. Ron leaned against a post with his arms crossed smiling. Harry's words were slurred, but he managed to put together a few sentences.  
  
"Ron...this wasn't a good idea," he said getting up. He balanced himself on the bench that they had sat on.  
  
"And what makes it not a good idea?" asked Ron.  
  
"I'm HALF DRUNK, that's why!" Harry said forcefully. "Anna-Nicole's going to think that I drink!" Ron just smiled. For some reason, this, to him, was amusing. "What are you smiling at?" asked Harry.  
  
"Have you forgotten about Anna-Nicole?" asked Ron. There was a long pause where they just stood there looking at each other, Harry thinking.  
  
"...Come on, Ron. Let's go to Honeyduke's," said Harry patting his friend on the back.  
  
1:00 had seemed about 50 years away for Harry. When it was, in fact, 12:50, Hermione came to Honeydukes alone to meet Harry and Ron. They were both there sitting on a bench. Harry didn't look like he did before they left. He had a paler face and he was smiling. Just a little. At least, she thought he was.  
  
"What happened to you?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing, let's go," said Ron standing up. If Hermione found out that he got Harry drunk, he wouldn't hear the end of it.  
  
"I asked Harry, Ronald," she said. She put her hands on her hips. Ron looked at her for a while then pulled Harry up. He wasn't drunk anymore, but he still didn't feel one hundred percent. He was about...thirty percent. Just enough to talk to Anna-Nicole, get back to Hogwarts and go straight to sleep.  
  
"Come on, Harry," said Ron, completely ignoring Hermione, "Time to go." Hermione gave up and followed Harry and Ron to the Shrieking Shack. They weren't going to go IN it, of course. No one was supposed to go in there, and if they were, they wouldn't. So, they met outside of it by the fence. Hermione looked around to make sure no one was coming.  
  
"Good luck, Harry," she said, "when you're done, meet us back at Honeyduke's. Allright?" Harry nodded.  
  
"Good luck, Harry," said Ron. And with that, he and Hermione both left Harry alone. He stood there for a while. He had 5 minutes until she came, although he couldn't be sure that she'd come right at 1:00. He became bored just standing there. Until...to his left he saw someone in a cloak...a small figure. Most likely Anna-Nicole. She probably thought that Harry hadn't guessed who was going to come yet.  
  
"What were you THINKING, Ronald?"  
  
"It got his mind off of Anna-Nicole! And now I'm sure he's doing fine outside of the Shrieking Shack with her."  
  
"Do you think she's come yet?"  
  
"I don't know..." Ron and Hermione stood there in silence until Ron spoke up. "Do you want to...get a coffee?" He said it very awkwardly and he didn't think he had a chance getting a yes from Hermione. She sort of smiled.  
  
"Yeah as long as you pay," she said.  
  
At 1:30, Harry came down from the Shrieking Shack. He didn't look sad, nor did he look happy. His expression was neutral and from what Ron and Hermione were getting out of it, he didn't want to talk about what had happened. Hermione asked anyway.  
  
"How did it go, Harry?" Harry sat on a bench in front of where Ron and Hermione were standing.  
  
"I refused," he said.  
  
"You refused?" asked Hermione, "But why..."  
  
"Let the man talk, Hermione," said Ron.  
  
"I told you...I'm not ready. I might go to see her in a few days and talk with her. After all, I barely know her and I didn't talk to her much. She...she came in a cloak. And then she put down her hood and talked to me..." Hermione looked at Ron and then back at Harry.  
  
"Would you want me to talk with her? I've been friends with her for a while. She'll talk with me," said Hermione.  
  
"Just explain to her why," said Harry, "Explain to her that I'm not having anything to do with girls until I figure out this dream."  
  
"You're still on that golden bell thing, aren't you?" asked Ron. Harry nodded and stood up. He was glad that they had stopped talking about Anna- Nicole.  
  
"Whoever was in that dream knew something about Voldemort. Whoever it was told me that he had risen again and to beware the golden bell," he said.  
  
"Well, when we get back, we'll go to the library and look it up. I already checked in my Divination textbook. There's nothing about the golden bell in there," said Hermione.  
  
"I wonder why," said Ron in thought.  
  
"Yeah, I wonder why too. Maybe because it's a death omen and there are only 2 other death omens besides the grim in our curriculum. It might be 7th year stuff," said Hermione. "We leave at 2. Come on, let's find something to do," she said.  
  
When Harry, Ron, and Hermione returned to the castle, they dropped off the things that they had bought in Hogsmeade in their dormitories and headed to the library.  
  
Hermione slammed a book onto the table that Harry and Ron were sitting at. They both almost fell out of their chairs.  
  
"I found something," said Hermione.  
  
"No kidding," said Ron trying to calm himself down. Hermione opened the book and read.  
  
"The Golden Bell is an omen normally found in burnt fennel leaves and water. This omen means death, but not just death, a tragic, bloody, and brutal death. The story of the golden bell traces as far back as the 1800's when a small boy was given a tiny golden bell by his parents. They told him to ring the bell if something should happen to him. That way, if the boy was in trouble, his parents could come to his aid quickly. One day, the boy set off into the woods and encountered a man in black robes. He grabbed the boy by his collar and told him to drop the bell and if he didn't, he would die. The boy refused and was killed. The man chopped off the boy's arm and took out a small knife. He wrote on the boy's arm: Beware the golden bell.  
  
"No one is sure even if the story is true. The story of the little boy and the golden bell might have been a wisetale, passed on through the generations, until people came to believe their own story. But, the tale lives on and is still used in the reading of burnt fennel leaves. Turn to page 364 to learn about the reading of fennel." Hermione looked up from the book at Harry. He stared right back at Hermione, thinking. Harry knew that having this dream was not a good sign. Voldemort was back.  
  
Ha. I liked this chapter. R/R. The next chapter's coming soon. I've got a few things planned. I know how this is going to end, too. be patient, it'll come. =oP 


	6. A Second Dream

Harry Potter and the Golden Bell  
  
Chapter 6  
  
A Second Dream  
  
Harry was sitting outside of Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione walked up to him smiling.  
  
"Harry, we have something for you," said Hermione.  
  
"We know you're going to like it," said Ron.  
  
"Really? Let's see, then," said Harry  
  
"Now, if you should get into trouble, ring that bell and we'll both come looking for you," said Hermione.  
  
"Wow! Thanks, guys! Can I go play now?" asked Harry eagerly.  
  
"Sure. Go on," said Hermione. Harry leaped up, bell in hand, and ran into the Forbidden Forest. He skipped through the trees smiling happily. He didn't know why he was skipping, but it seemed like a good idea. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a black shadowy figure appeared. He grabbed Harry's arm. Harry screamed and rang his bell frantically. He looked at the figure's hand. It was gray and blistery; Unhappy. Harry fought away and began running through the woods. The figure ran after him calling his name. It was only whispering, but its words were ringing loud in Harry's ears. "Harry Potter!" it was saying, "Harry Potter!!" Harry stumbled over a tree root and flew to the ground. The figure grabbed him by his collar and pulled him up. It whispered in his ear holding Harry tighter and tighter, "Harry Potter...the golden bell is with you...you have it in your hand...In a few days, someone you know; someone you love; someone you respect; and someone you trust, will turn out worse than they are. Worse, Harry! They will turn out to be someone you despise, someone you loathe with all that's in you. Beware the golden bell, Harry. Lord Voldemort is back! He's back!" Harry screamed. He squirmed around, but the thing's grip was far too tight for him to get out of. The person rolled up Harry's sleeve and held a large ax over his shoulder........  
  
Harry sat up and gasped for air. He was breathing h still dark outside and he could hear Ron's snores coming from the foot of his bed. Harry got out of his bed and went to the window. He looked outside thinking that maybe he'd see someone in a black cloak, and just as he had expected, he didn't.  
  
Hermione and Ron were sitting in the Great Hall before breakfast. Ron had to finish an assignment for potions, and Hermione was awake, so she decided to come with him. Harry half ran into the Great Hall and sat down next to Ron.  
  
"Guys listen," he said, leaning in closer. He looked around to make sure no one was listening; specifically Malfoy. "I had another dream last night." Hermione gasped.  
  
"What happened?" asked Ron. He had a tinge of fright in his voice. Harry's dreams were always so frightening and confusing. He wasn't sure if he was afraid of what the dream was going to be about, or if he was afraid he wouldn't understand the dream once Harry described it.  
  
"It was a complete reenactment of the night that the boy in the story in the golden bell was killed. Except the boy wasn't there. The boy was me." Ron whimpered. He understood. He was just afraid that he understood.  
  
"What happened?" asked Hermione, "What did the man say? Harry, did he chop off your arm?" Harry shook his head to quiet her down.  
  
"You and Ron gave me the bell and I took it in the woods. Just like the story, a man came up to me and told me that I have the golden bell. He said that in a few days, someone I know, love, respect, and trust will turn out to be someone I despise and loathe with all that's in me. Then he raised and ax to my arm (Ron whimpered) and then I woke up. (Ron sighed.)"  
  
"Someone you love..." said Hermione thinking, "Maybe Anna-Nicole?"  
  
"But I don't love her," said Harry.  
  
"You might in a few days. You said you were going to go talk to her one of these days," said Hermione.  
  
"Well...someone I despise and loathe with all that's in me...that's Voldemort. (Someone turned around at looked at Harry then looked back at their homework) Someone's going to be hurt by Voldemort. Someone here IS Voldemort! If -"  
  
"Would you mind calling him You-Know-Who, please? It might not bother you, but it bothers everyone else!" Harry turned around and looked at the kid who had said that.  
  
"Sorry," he said and turned back to Ron and Hermione. "If you see anyone acting strange in any way (Ron looked at Colin Creevey who was staring at Harry. He was far enough down the table not to hear)...besides him. He's always strange. But, if you do, tell me right away. Allright?"  
  
"We've got your back, Harry," said Ron.  
  
"Don't worry, Harry. Everything's going to be just fine,"  
  
"Oh...and there's something else." Harry put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the small bell. He placed it in his palm and opened his hand for his friends to see. Hermione covered her mouth.  
  
"Harry, where did you get that?" she asked.  
  
"It was on my nightstand after I woke up from my dream," said Harry. He handed it to Hermione. Ron leaned towards her to get a closer look. Hermione looked inside the bell.  
  
"Stanford Bell Company," she read. "Stanford Bell Company existed almost 200 years ago! This is either impossible, or you have the golden bell, Harry!"  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione started down the hall to Herbology. It was almost the end of classes for the day. They were late for the class and were rushing to greenhouse 3 as fast as they could. Apparently, someone else was rushing to their next class as well. Anna-Nicole was going the other way. She was going so fast and not paying attention, that she bumped into Harry. They both fell opposite ways. Hermione and Ron just backed off.  
  
"Oh my God!" cried Anna-Nicole, "I'm so sorry, Harry!" She bolted up and held out her hand to him. He took it and stood up.  
  
"It's fine...it's allright - " Anna-Nicole was frantically brushing him off as if he had just fallen into a bag of flour.  
  
"Anna-Nicole - " She stopped immediately, blushed, and looked down at her feet, squirming nervously.  
  
"Harry! Come on, we're late!" yelled Ron.  
  
"Listen..I have to go. Meet me at the lake after dinner. Allright?" Anna- Nicole nodded. Harry kissed her on the cheek and met up with Ron and Hermione. He rolled his eyes and pushed them both along away from Anna- Nicole. "Come on," he said. Anna-Nicole stood there in awe and dropped her books. She felt as if she was going to have a heart attack. Harry Potter had just KISSED her.  
  
Professor Sprout was giddy that day - as she was every day. After the students put on their coats and gloves, Professor Sprout started the lesson. She clapped her hands together once.  
  
"Now," she said, "Today we are going to be collecting billywig poison. Can anyone tell me what a billywig's sting does to the body?" Hermione's hand shot up.  
  
"Miss Granger?"  
  
"A billywig is a magical insect, native to Australia. The billywig is about a half-inch long and vivid blue in color. Its sting causes giddiness and levitation. For this reason, the billywig's sting is highly sought after by Australian wizards. Dried billywig stingers are also useful as a potion ingredient."  
  
"No wonder why Professor Sprout is so happy today," whispered Ron into Harry's ear, "Too many billywig stings." Harry chuckled at Ron's joke.  
  
"Excellent!" said Professor Sprout, "10 points to Gryffindor." The Gryffindors looked happy. Not many of them liked Hermione very much, but they liked getting house points because of her. The Slytherins, however, just looked at the Gryffindors with jealousy and some cursed to themselves.  
  
"Now, milking a billywig is quite easy. You see, you just take your piece of hog flesh and stick your billywigs into it. When the flesh gets heavy, squeeze it into your beaker. When your beaker is filled up to the mark that says: 2 cups, bring it to me. You will then go back to your stations and get another 2 cups of the poison, and so on until you run out of billywigs in your container. Any questions? Allright, you may get started. Oh! and keep your gloves on at all times! Don't scratch your eye, pick your nose, dig in your ears, or suck your fingers. Those are all easy ways for billywig poison to get into your body. We don't want anyone bouncing off the walls or floating 100 feet over our heads." Professor Sprout demonstrated and then set the students to work. Ron peered into his container of billywigs.  
  
"This is disgusting," he said with a pained look on his face. He looked at the hog flesh and whimpered. Hermione picked up her cup and went up to Professor Sprout.  
  
"Hermione's done already?" said Ron incredulously.  
  
"I guess so," said Harry watching her come back to the table.  
  
"You two better get working," she said, starting her next batch of billywig poison. Harry and Ron looked at each other and just started working. Harry picked up a billywig and forced it into the flesh. He watched it wriggle around until it was completely still. He took the dead billywig out and put it in an empty container. He looked at Ron who was trying to get one of his billywigs to stay still. Neville seemed to be wrestling with a few of his. The students at his table were laughing hysterically at him.  
  
"Harry?" said a voice from the side of him. Harry looked where it came from.  
  
"I'm done, do you need help?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Yeah that'd be great," he said.  
  
"You're done? Completely done?" asked Ron. He was done with only 3 billywigs. "Well, I need some help too." Hermione rolled her eyes and started working on Harry's billywigs with him. She looked around and then spoke to Harry quietly.  
  
"I went to the library and read about Stanford Bell Company. They went out of business after the 5 years they were open, when people found out that they had made the golden bell. It said that it has a curse on it. A death curse. it's irremovable, too. No countercurse can get rid of it once it's on the object. The company wasn't very well-known. They worked quietly and kept strict hours. They made sleigh bells to church bells and were known by a small group of people for the bells in the community church. I'd suggest you get rid of that bell, Harry. I don't know how it could have just appeared on your nightstand, but it's bad luck."  
  
"I'm going to hang onto it. Just in case," said Harry.  
  
"In case of what?" asked Hermione.  
  
"In case someone comes to find it."  
  
Defense Against The Dark Arts was next. Dumbledore couldn't find anyone to fill the spot. He had gotten numerous owls from the Ministry of Magic about people they had that could fill it, and he refused to all of them. He didn't want another teacher like Delores Umbridge teaching the students. In the meantime, the class had a different teacher from the school every day. Dumbledore gave the teacher the information on the subject that they were to teach and they would teach it. Today, they had Professor Snape. He appeared the most in the classroom. He had been begging Dumbledore for the job for years, but he wouldn't give it to him.  
  
The whole class was absolutely silent when Professor Snape entered the classroom. He went to the front of the room and looked around at everybody. After a long wile, he pointed to the empty seat next to Harry.  
  
"Who sits there?" he asked in his normal evil sounding voice.  
  
"Hermione Granger," said Harry quietly. Ron looked at him and mouthed: "Where's Hermione?" Harry looked at him and shrugged.  
  
"Please tell Miss Granger to come and see me some time when she's free. She's getting a little present for skipping class," he said. Nobody moved, nobody spoke.  
  
"This is what happens, students, when you neglect to show up in my class. And yes, this is my class. I am taking it over until we find you children a new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher. Please get used to my routine in this class as well as Potions. I'm sure you'll all be glad that you'll be seeing me twice a day." His mouth twitched and Neville stared at him in horror. He hadn't blinked for a while now and Harry wasn't sure whether he was still alive or at the most, conscious.  
  
"Am I understood?"  
  
"Yes, Professor Snape," said the class timidly.  
  
"I said, am i understood?" he said a little louder.  
  
"Yes, Professor Snape," said the class louder.  
  
"Good. Very good. Now, I want 4 rolls of parchment on 4 different types of dragons. Due the day after tomorrow." Snape grabbed his wand and pointed it at the chalk on the chalkboard tray. It leaped to the chalkboard and started scribbling frantically:  
  
- Antipodeon Opaleye  
  
- Chinese Fireball  
  
- Common Welsh Green  
  
- Herbridean Black  
  
- Hungarian Horntail  
  
- Norweigian Ridgeback  
  
- Peruvian Vipertooth  
  
- Romanian Longhorn  
  
- Swedish Short-Snout  
  
- Ukrainian Ironbelly  
  
Snape waited for the chalk to finish. While it was writing, everyone just stared at the chalkboard. When it finished, it hovered in the air for a while and blew up all over the front of the room. There was a pause and Snape spoke.  
  
"Well," he said, "I advise you write the words down instead of gaping at them." He looked at Neville who was looking more terrified than he had at the beginning of class. The students jumped and grabbed for their notebooks and quills. Snape walked up and down the aisles slowly with his hands behind his back watching each of the students write. Neville had his quill poised over his notebook ready to write "Antipodean Opaleye," but his hand was too shaky to write even the first "A."  
  
"Mister Longbottom." Neville jumped and moved his head slowly to look at Snape.  
  
"Do you need me to perform the Imperious Curse on you for you to write?" The entire class looked at Neville and Snape.  
  
"Or are you going to do as I say and write - "  
  
"STOP!" Why had Harry done that? He screamed at a teacher - ordered a teacher to do something. He hadn't even meant to. The word had just come out. Snape and the rest of the class directed their attention to Harry. Snape walked over to him.  
  
"Potter. Clearly detention on a Hogsmeade day hasn't left any sort of mark on you at all. I want to see you here every day for detention this week. Maybe that'll teach you to respect your teachers."  
  
"Blimey," said Ron once they were completely out of earshot of Snape, "Snape sure was harsh today. He gave you detention every day this week, blew up a piece of chalk, scared Neville half to death, and now, i wager he's going to give Hermione a hard time once she shows up at his room." Ron paused. "Where is Hermione, anyway?"  
  
"I don't know," said Harry, "Probably at the library. But, she wouldn't skip class for that." At that, Hermione caught up with them.  
  
"Harry, get rid of the bell!"  
  
"Hermione, where were you?" asked Ron.  
  
"Snape wants you to go c him in the Defense Against The Dark Arts room," said Harry.  
  
"Allright, I will, but just get rid of the bell!"  
  
"No, Hermione. Listen, tell Anna-Nicole to meet me at the sundial before dinner," said Harry. Hermione sighed.  
  
"Allright," she said, and headed to the Defense Against The Dark Arts room.  
  
R/R!!!! I found some errors in this chapter because something got messed up on my computer...I fixed them for you cuz some important parts were left out. Ugh. Re-read please. –MJ 


	7. The Sundial

Harry Potter and the Golden Bell  
  
Chapter 7  
  
The Sundial  
  
A/N: I got reviews to add more expression to characters, tell more about surroundings, make Hagrid's speech less proper, describe Anna-Nicole, and a few other things. I added expression, told about surroundings, did a Care of Magical Creatures class and a meeting with Hagrid in this chapter to get his speech less proper, and during that meeting, described Anna-Nicole. (Someone said that they couldn't help thinking that Anna-Nicole was a ditzy blonde =oD. Whoever said that, you know who you are. Hopefully it's cleared up for you now. =oD) I hope there's a difference in this chapter!! (this is a rather long one..enjoy though. You'll like chapter 8 too =oD)  
  
"You want to know something else about that Anna-Nicole?" asked Ron.  
  
"Hm?" said Harry dully. He didn't really want to know what Ron had to say. He was thinking about what to say to Anna-Nicole when he met her at the sundial.  
  
"Her mum. She's a death eater."  
  
"Now, where, Ron, did you hear that?" asked Hermione disgustedly. She didn't like when Ron gossiped. She knew herself that she gossiped, but it wasn't Ron's place to gossip. When he gossiped, the gossip turned into a nasty rumor, as he would add on things to make it more "interesting."  
  
"Around," said Ron shrugging. The three of them were on their way to Divination and they were walking up the steps of the tower to the room. They walked into the room and found their seats. The little cups with the glops of fennel were at their places already. Harry stared deep into the cup and thought about what was going to happen. Of course, he knew what was going to happen. His fennel was going to take the shape of the golden bell and everyone would once again be afraid that Harry would die. He knew exactly what was coming and he was semi-prepared for it.  
  
Trelawney went to the front of the room and started the class.  
  
"Today, we are going to continue our lesson on reading fennel. Now, does anyone remember the spell we use to get our readings?" Harry looked at Hermione who wasn't raising her hand at all. She seemed to be fascinated by a small green book entitled: "A Quick Easy Guide to Getting Horrible Teachers Sacked Without Getting into Trouble" by: Melinda Snorgoff. Harry saw that no one else was paying attention, so he raised his hand. Professor Trelawney called on him happily.  
  
"Herbus Scribus," he said, then looked at Ron, who was staring out into space. No one seemed to be paying any attention today. It was easy to not pay attention in Trelawney's class and not get in trouble. Trelawney didn't notice anything and Harry thought it possible for anyone to shoot off fireworks at the front table without Trelawney giving the presentation so much as a sideways glance.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Potter. Now, will everyone raise their wands and tap their cups and chant the incantation please?" Everyone seemed to wake up at this. Hermione lowered her book and even Ron broke out of his trance to see what was going on.  
  
"1...2...3...Herbus Scribus." Trelawney tapped her own cup and everyone else did as she did. Harry peered into his cup, and watched the fennel move into position. A handle...a brim......  
  
Harry's eyes grew wide and without thinking, he got a firm grip on the tablecloth and pulled hard. Everything on the table crashed to the ground. Hermione gasped and jumped and whispered something breathily that sounded like: "Harry!" Trelawney directed her attention from the symbol in Neville's cup to Harry's table.  
  
"Sorry! Sorry, I'll clean that right up, I will," said Harry getting up. He looked at the glass on the floor that was once his bowl and half smiled to himself. He got down on his hands and knees and started picking everything up and putting it into the tablecloth. He grabbed the ends of it, picked it up like a bundle, and brought it to Professor Trelawney at the front of the room.  
  
Care of Magical Creatures was the last class of the day that day. Hagrid had moved to smaller animals it seemed, as he came out of his hut with a small cage in his hand. The Gryffindors and Slytherins had gotten comfortable on rocks, logs, crates, and whatever else was available to sit on.  
  
"Good afternoon, kids. I've brought an interestin' beast fer yeh all today," said Hagrid, "If yeh would open yer books to page 78, you'll find the topic of the lesson fer today." Hagrid set the cage on top of a high tree stump near his cabin and sat himself in a chair.  
  
"Jarveys!" exclaimed Hermione.  
  
"Resembling an overgrown ferret, the Jarvey is one of the few beasts that can actually talk. Its speech, however, consists entirely of rude phrases and insults. Eat gnomes, rats, moles," read Ron out of his book.  
  
"Sure Malfoy isn't part Jarvey?" he whispered to Harry.  
  
"Just a fun idea for a lesson. Now, don't be offended by anything this Jarvey might say to yeh. It doesn't mean it, nor can it help what it's sayin'," said Hagrid happily. "  
  
Everyone ready? Now, form a line in front of 'im. Now, th' best way ter shut down a Jarvey is to insult it back. If yeh say sumpthin' mean back ter 'im, he'll back off immediately, dependin' on what yeh say. If yeh go on long enough wit' 'im, he'll run out of things to say and give up. Allright, you first, Seamus." Seamus Finnigan stepped up in front of the Jarvey's cage and stood there ready. Hagrid unlatched the cage and took the muzzle off of the Jarvey. It looked just like a ferret but slightly bigger and hairier. It had a smirk on his face and seemed to know exactly what to say to Seamus. He talked rather quickly and acted amazingly just like a human.  
  
"Look at you, you big lummox. Just standin' there in front of me with that "tough look" on ya. What, you think you're going to scare someone with it? I'd be more scared of your face than your expression, to tell you the truth." Seamus just stood there for a while thinking of what to say. He was blank. How could he insult a talking rodent?  
  
"Yeah, well...you..."  
  
"Ha! Stuttering like that in that stupid Irish accent. Who do you think you are? You can't even think of anything to say to me, can you?"  
  
"Wh - "  
  
"Can you?" Seamus looked defeated. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Eh, get out a' here, you big dolt." The Jarvey smiled evilly and Seamus frowned and moved to the back of the line. Hermione was next. She seemed fully prepared for the animal. And that's what it was...just an animal. It couldn't do much harm to her. The Jarvey cracked up as soon as he saw her.  
  
"What are you laughing at?" she said confidently.  
  
"Your teeth! They're HUGE! Eugh, so disgustingly white, too!"  
  
"My parents happen to be dentists, thank you very much."  
  
"Psh, whatever THAT is. Probably some muggle thing. Hey, you're muggle born, aren't you? You're a little mudblood, aren't you?"  
  
"So what if I'm muggle born? At least I'm not a disgusting rodent who has nothing better to say to someone than an insult. You probably have not one kind thought in your mind."  
  
"Indeed I don't."  
  
"Not very smart, are you?"  
  
"I don't need to be. I just sit in a cage all day with that fat oaf over there."  
  
"Hagrid is not an oaf!"  
  
"Ha. You're funny, mudblood. NEXT!"  
  
"Who are you to say Next? I can move out of your way whenever I want to."  
  
"NEXT!"  
  
"I'm not done with you yet!"  
  
"You have nothing else to say to me! Face it, mudblood, you're finished! NEXT, PLEASE!"  
  
"I think you're the one who has run out of things to say. You wouldn't be saying Next if you hadn't." The Jarvey stayed silent.  
  
"That's what I thought," said Hermione.  
  
"Yeah, whatever." The Jarvey muttered a curse under his breath as Hermione moved to the back of the line high-fiving Ron. There was mixed applause and then Neville stepped up to the Jarvey.  
  
"Oh, this is great, great fun! Look at YOU!" the Jarvey hopped onto Neville's shoulder and crawled around him.  
  
"You obviously aren't too brave. But, indicating by your robes, you're of the Gryffindor house! You know, Gryffindors are supposed to be brave, like the lion symbolizing the house. I think the Sorting Hat has made a mistake when sorting you!"  
  
"Your silly words don't effect me one bit."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure they don't. Your face shows the truth behind your lie. You'd run away right now if everyone wasn't standing here watching you."  
  
"I don't care who's watching!" Neville grabbed onto the Jarvey and thrust him against his cage. Everyone clapped and cheered Neville on. He didn't smile for a long time. He just stood there stunned at what he had just done. He finally smiled and happily marched to the back of the line. Malfoy walked up to the Jarvey who was having trouble standing back up on its four legs.  
  
"Looks like someone's not in shape for insults, now. Are they?" Malfoy grinned as evil as the Jarvey itself.  
  
"Your parents Death Eaters? Possibly?"  
  
"You wouldn't know anything about my parents. You're just a stupid old rat. Incapable of receiving any information outside of your tiny little cage."  
  
"Really? How would you know that? You don't know everything about me."  
  
"I know enough about you that all I have to do is throw you a good insult to shut you up. So here's a good insult." Malfoy pointed his wand at the Jarvey. "Eat slugs," he said. The Jarvey's eyes grew wide and it immediately began throwing up slugs. Everyone was laughing, while Hagrid was none too pleased. Malfoy moved to the back of the line and Hagrid used a magic reversal spell on his Jarvey. Harry stepped up to it once he had half recovered from the slugs.  
  
"Ah. Harry Potter." Harry nodded.  
  
"That's right. Don't have to be too smart to know who I am. Lucky for you."  
  
"Now, what is all this with me not being smart?"  
  
"Like Hermione said, you have nothing better to say to anyone but something bad. You don't have the mind to think up anything nice. Nice ideas are complex. Ideas that the brain of a tiny rodent couldn't have."  
  
"What would make you think that?"  
  
"Well...say something nice, then," said Harry crossing his arms. The Jarvey stared at him for a long time. He apparently couldn't think of anything to say. Harry smiled. He somehow felt more confident about meeting Anna-Nicole now. He didn't know how that could be, but it was.  
  
Harry walked to the sundial alone that afternoon. Hermione and Ron had headed to their dormitories after dinner, leaving Harry to go meet Anna- Nicole on his own. The whole way, he walked in silence. Staring at his feet, occasionally looking up at the sky, which was darkening now as dusk grew nearer. Harry looked forward and the sundial garden with its gigantic split stone slabs jutting out of the ground came into view. Harry had taken the long way to it. He had time and he fancied a quiet walk. He stepped up the hill and went to the center of the garden. This time, Harry wasn't to the meeting place first. Anna-Nicole was facing the pillar furthest away from him and looking around the edge of it seeing if Harry was coming the other way. Obviously, he wasn't.  
  
"Anna-Nicole?" Anna-Nicole's heart raced. She knew he was here. She had heard his voice from behind her...his beautiful, soft voice...  
  
She turned around to face him.  
  
"H-Hi, H-H-Harry," she said quietly. Harry smiled a little and Anna-Nicole blushed and looked at her feet. Harry walked over to her trying to look as attractive as possible just to make her nervous. He found it amusing when she looked at him and tried to hide a smile. Not many people acted this way towards him anymore. After things happening...  
  
"So...what did you want to meet me here for? Hermione told me to come here...although I wasn't sure if she was lying or not...but then I thought, well, she's friends with him. So it ought to be true and - "  
  
"Shh. I don't have much time." He looked around, looking for nothing or course. He did have time. He had all the time in the world. He just didn't want to be there for all the time in the world.  
  
"I brought you here to tell you i made a mistake refusing you at the Shrieking Shack." Anna-Nicole froze.  
  
"Wh...What do you mean - exactly?" she gasped.  
  
"I mean that I'll...you know...go out with you...or whatever."  
  
"You will?" She said, her face brightening. Harry nodded awkwardly. She lunged forward and grabbed him in a hug.  
  
"Ow!" He said out of nowhere. The hug didn't hurt...the word just sort of popped out.  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry." She let go and blushed. "I didn't mean to hurt you."  
  
"No...you didn't..." Harry felt his scar.  
  
"Come on in, Harry. My door's always open."  
  
Harry had gone to Hagrid's hut. It was a counseling center...open 24 hours. And you didn't need an appointment.  
  
"Sit yerself down somewhere." Harry sat down in one of Hagrid's chairs around his table.  
  
"Do yeh want somethin' ter drink? I'm makin' tea," said Hagrid happily.  
  
"No...I'm fine, thank you."  
  
"Allright then." Hagrid sat down across from Harry in a chair. Harry looked around. Birds were chirping, there were roars coming from the bedroom, squirrels were chattering. It seemed to Harry, even though it wasn't, that Hagrid's hut was alive.  
  
"Harry Potter's back!" The Jarvey was sitting on top of the counter under a large glass cup.  
  
"Just ignore 'im, Harry. I had ter trap him after your Care of Magical Creatures class today. He was runnin' all around me house. Broke me favorite dish." Hagrid shook his head. Harry smiled a little. "So...what are yeh here fer?"  
  
"Well...I sort of..." Harry looked at Hagrid's Jarvey, "Have a problem." He looked back at Hagrid. Hagrid nodded, smiling.  
  
"Well...you see, there's this girl, Anna-Nicole - "  
  
"Ah, girl troubles, aye?"  
  
"Well, listen," said Harry. Hagrid nodded.  
  
"This girl Anna-Nicole has a crush on me."  
  
"Good fer you."  
  
"So, she sent me this owl telling me to meet her at the Shrieking Shack."  
  
"What'd she say?" Harry opened his mouth to continue, but then frowned and let out all of his air as he spoke.  
  
"Hagrid."  
  
"Sorry. Continue."  
  
"And I met her there and she asked me out. I refused."  
  
"Yeh refused? What did yeh refuse fer?"  
  
"I wasn't ready!"  
  
"Harry, yer 16 years old. Yeh need a girlfriend."  
  
"That's what Hermione said!" exclaimed Harry frustratedly.  
  
"Well, then listen ter Hermione."  
  
"Allright now, I'm still not finished. So, I told Hermione to tell Anna- Nicole to meet me at the sundial today. And, I told her yes, that I would go out with her."  
  
"Good fer you, Harry! Where are yeh gonna take 'er?"  
  
"I - I don't know yet. But that's not the whole thing. After I told her that, she hugged me, and my scar hurt." There was a long pause. Hagrid had a look of concern on his face.  
  
"I had a dream about Voldemort being back...as in...back on the school grounds. I think that he was near when Anna-Nicole hugged me. I think he was watching," said Harry lowering his voice as if someone that shouldn't be hearing all this was right outside the window. There was another long pause and then Hagrid broke the nasty silence.  
  
"What does she look like? Is she pretty?"  
  
"Hagrid!"  
  
"Well, jeez, Harry. Be optimistic about this! You have a date!"  
  
"A date, huh? A date with death! Voldemort is following me around! Rather, following me and Anna-Nicole around! He just has to get one chance when I'm alone with Anna-Nicole somewhere deserted and he'll attack me! He might even hurt Anna-Nicole and I don't want that to happen."  
  
"Do yeh love 'er, Harry?" asked Hagrid, the grin broadening on his face. Harry was taken aback.  
  
"What? Love her? I don't even know her! She's just been staring at me and blushing when I talk to her. It's rather annoying, actually," Harry said, his voice calming down a bit as he said it. He looked down at his lap and twiddled his thumbs.  
  
"Is she pretty?" Harry looked up. He shrugged.  
  
"Yeah, she's pretty."  
  
"What does she look like?"  
  
"Well, she has straight black hair. It's down to her shoulders. And, shes got beautiful eyes. They're blue." Hagrid nodded.  
  
"Go on," he said.  
  
"Well, Hagrid, what are you so interested about? What, are you going to ask her out?" Harry was frustrated again. He didn't want to tell Hagrid any more about her. He was afraid that he really liked her.  
  
"No, of course not. But, I'm the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. She's in my class, ain't she?" Harry stared at him.  
  
"Well, ain't she?"  
  
"You wouldn't say a word," said Harry flatly. It wasn't a question. It was an order. Hagrid smiled and got up from the table. He went over to the sink and began to wash dishes.  
  
"Hagrid! Don't say anything to her!" yelled Harry.  
  
"Shh! Yer not even s'posed ter be down here! If yer gunna yell at me, back up ter the castle with yeh!"  
  
"Sorry," Harry said, defeated.  
  
"That's allrigh'."  
  
"But, you wouldn't say anything to her, would you?"  
  
"No, of course not." Hagrid was facing the other way, away from Harry, and he smiled a crinkled smile to himself, a twinkle in his eye.  
  
I actually finished this a while ago, but held off on it because I wanted to tell everyone that I was done with it and working on chapter 8. It's amusing to me because they all go: OMG POST IT POST IT hahahaha feels like JKR with the 6th book wink 


	8. A Bleeding Scar, An Angry Bell, And A Wh

Harry Potter and the Golden Bell  
Chapter 8  
A Bleeding Scar, An Angry Bell, And A White Ball Of Fire  
  
**A/N:** I had no idea what to call this chapter, but I finally thought of something. Anyway, This beginning part was probably suspected. My hints were clear in the last chapter, I wager. =oP I went to camp last week (I got back on Sunday the 25th) and I brought a black spiral notebook there so I could write the rest of chapter 8. I stopped writing before camp where Care of Magical Creatures ends (Harry's class) and I wanted to have a chapter ready when I got back. And I do!! I also have good news...I wrote part of one of the last chapters in the sequel to this one because I had a very good idea for it. Don't get too excited about finding out the whole story with the golden bell in this story because I decided that that information belongs in the sequel. haha. That way, you'll HAVE to read the sequel to find out what happens. Mwhaha. I also have an idea for the beginning of the sequel too. I think it's a good one lol. It starts at the Dursleys when Har - okay read this one instead of this author's note..I'm not giving away the beginning of a story of mine. =oP  
P.S. I GOT MAIL FROM DAN RADCLIFFE!! I sent him a letter requesting a picture and he sent one signed!!!! WOOOOT!!! I sent letters to Emma Watson (that was returned saying I used the wrong address...), Rupert Grint, David Thewlis, and Kenneth Branagh, (I dont remember how to spell that..) can't wait until they all get returned!!!!  
  
"Oy! Anna-Nicole!" Anna-Nicole turned around and walked over to Hagrid. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were in their Care of Magical Creatures Class. Hagrid had moved to even smaller animals. He had returned the Jarvey to its owner and had used the money he had asked for back to rent out two dozen Puffskeins. The students loved the Puffskeins, as they were small and fluffy with long tongues. They made quiet purring noises and many people often keep them as pets.   
Anna-Nicole turned away from her Puffskein and walked over to Hagrid. She looked up at his head, eclipsing the sun and moved a hand over her head so that she could see his face more properly. He bent down so his face was nearer hers and made sure no one was listening.  
"Talked ter Harry yesterday."  
"You did? About what?"  
" 'Bou' you."  
"Me?"   
"Yep. He really likes yeh. Wanted me ter tell yeh that." Hagrid smiled and Anna-Nicole returned the smile.  
" 'ey - good luck wit' him. You're a lucky girl." Hagrid patted her on the shoulder and sent her back to her Puffskein.  
  
"But, I don't like her, Hagrid!" Harry protested during his Care of Magical Creatures class. His Puffskein reached out its long tongue and licked his face. Harry bunched up his robes and wiped off his wet cheek, leaving the Puffskein very offended.  
"Yes yeh do, Harry! The way yeh talk about her - watch it, Ron (Ron's Puffskein bit his finger. "AW!! STUPID ANIMAL!")."   
"Hagrid...I don't like her. She asked me out, I said no - "  
"Then yeh went back ter her - "  
"I didn't have a choice! I don't want to hurt her feelings. If anything, I want her to just forget about me! Next Hogsmeade weekend, I'll take her out and then that's it." Harry turned around and began feeding his Puffskein a carrot, which it ate gratefully and began purring.  
"Yeh know yeh like 'er, Harry," Hagrid said after a long time. Harry was quiet for a while. He did like her...a little. Not enough for Anna-Nicole to realize, though. Hagrid smiled and thumped Harry on the back.  
"I'm gonna go check on Malfoy...make sure he ain't abusin' any o' me other animals." And with that, Hagrid left for the section of the yards that the Slytherins were at.  
Hermione decided to change the subject immediately.  
"Still have that bell, Harry?" Harry took the hint and nodded. He pulled it out of his robes and rang it a few times.  
"I have no idea why you insist on keeping that thing. You're going to get into trouble and - "  
"Hermione. He obviously doesn't care," said Ron. Hermione pulled out her wand and turned his Puffskein into a toad. Ron looked at his toad and frowned.  
"Well, at least it won't bite me now." Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back to Harry.  
"The thing is, Harry...that bell is trouble. Harry, if you keep that bell, you're - someone's looking for it, Harry. They'll kill you for it."   
"I want to know why...I want to know why that that bell is worth killing for. What does it do?" At that, Malfoy turned around and looked at the bell in Harry's hand. He strode over to Harry, Ron, and Hermione and pointed at the bell.  
"Where did you get that?" he asked. Harry turned to look at him.  
"You recognize this?" he responded cooly, holding up the bell. Malfoy was quiet. He looked at it, then at Harry.  
"Where did you get it?"  
"Why do you need to know?"  
"It doesn't belong to you," said Malfoy. He sounded scared. Almost as if he thought that Harry was going to attack him.  
"Who does it belong to, then?"  
"I can't...I can't tell you that."  
"The only way you're getting it from me is if you tell me what it is and who it belongs to." There was a pause where Harry and Malfoy stared at each other as if trying to get information out of each other with their minds. Then, Malfoy spoke in his normal, icy tone.   
"Then, I'll have to find another way to get it." Malfoy sneered and stalked off. When he was far enough away, Ron leaned in to his two friends.  
"What does Malfoy want with the bell? Do you think it has anything to do with..."  
"Lucius!" Hermione exclaimed in a hushed voice, "Lucius Malfoy - he's a Death Eater - Voldemort! He serves Voldemort...Voldemort must want the bell...But..why?"  
"Lucius must have told Draco to be on the lookout for the bell. Voldemort knows it's on the school grounds. That's why he's here," said Harry.  
"Do you think he knows that you have it?" asked Ron.  
"I don't know," whispered Harry.  
"But if Voldemort wants it back...he didn't give it to you," said Hermione.  
"I don't know who gave it to me. I don't even know if anyone gave it to me - I told you, it just appeared on my nightstand when I woke up. "   
"Just get rid of it," whispered Hermione, "That's the best thing to do."  
"Allright, it's almost time ter go. Ever'one leave yer Puffskeins where they are and gather yer things ta'gether." Hagrid's loud voice rang over the crowd, many of its members looking like they wanted to stay and play with the Puffskeins. Harry Ron and Hermione decided to leave for their History of Magic class because they didn't want to bother Hagrid by staying longer. When they got up to the classroom, they sat down and waited for Professor Binns to arrive. When he did, he entered as he normally did, and drifted through the chalkboard. He opened up a book and began droning on about Magical Ability. Harry looked across the room at Anna-Nicole, who was staring him with a big smile on her face. He smiled back politely and pretended to be especially interested about Binns's lesson.  
"She's looking at me again," said Harry to Hermione out of the corner of his mouth.  
"Of course she is," replied Hermione, her nose in her History Book, "She likes you."  
"She likes me a little too much if you ask me," said Harry frustratedly. He picked up his quill and began scribbling down some fake notes.  
"It's just a crush, Harry," Hermione whispered, "She'll be over you in a few months and onto someone else before you know it. Now please do not disturb me again. I, for one, want to concentrate on learning this material. We have N.E.W.T.s next year, you know." Hermione went back to watching Professor Binns and listening hard. Harry looked from Hermione to Anna-Nicole who was now writing in a blue notebook. Harry sat up straighter to get a vague idea of what it was she was writing. It didn't look like she was taking notes. She had a content smile on her face. Her elbow was on the desk she was at and her head was propped on her hand. Harry frowned when he saw what it said: 'Anna-Nicole Potter. Mrs. Harry Potter. Mrs. Anna-Nicole Ginnesbrook Potter.' He focused his attention back onto Binns, who scratched his ghostly nose, still talking. Just then, Harry's scar seared with pain. He put his hand to his forehead and looked around the room for the source. His eyes landed right on Anna-Nicole as he remembered the day at the sundial the last time his scar hurt. She was now looking at him more intently than ever. He heard a gasp from his right and noticed it was Hermione. He turned his head to look at her.  
"Harry! Harry, your scar is bleeding!" Harry was panic stricken. He took his hand off of his forehead and watched a drop of blood trickle down his ring finger. He jumped up from his seat and sprinted out of the room so fast that only 3 heads turned. Hermione's, Ron's, and of course, Anna-Nicole's. Quite expectedly, Professor Binns wasn't phased at all by the outburst and continued reading. Harry dashed out of the room, down the corridors, and carelessly turned into the first bathroom he saw. He went to one of the sinks and looked at himself in the mirror above it. His scar wasn't bleeding as much now, but the blood was slowly seeping out of it and dripping down towards his eye. He hastily turned on the faucet, put his hands underneath the cool water and plastered them over his scar and closed his eyes. Moaning Myrtle flew slowly out of her cubicle and approached him from behind. She tapped him on the shoulder and fled up his faucet laughing. Harry opened his eyes just as Myrtle began to sneak out of the faucet of the sink next to the one he was standing in front of.  
"Myrtle," he said, "I kind of have a problem. Don't bother me, please."   
"Whats YOUR problem? It's probably nothing compared to mine. Living here in a toilet doing nothing day to day, my only fun being when i scare people away. Fine, tell Myrtle to go away. She will. She'll go away," she said and glided on top of the cluster of sinks in the middle of the bathroom. Harry opened his mouth to scold her, but heard the sound of the door creaking open. Someone had come in. They would see Harry there and think he was mad for coming into a girls' bathroom. He and Myrtle turned to look at the door and Myrtle grinned widely.   
"Oh," she said, "I'll leave you two alone." Myrtle zoomed into her cubicle, cushioning her landing with the water in the toilet and peered over the wall of the cubicle to see what Anna-Nicole and Harry were going to do next. She giggled silently to herself.  
"Harry? What are you doing in here? And why did you leave the classroom so quickly?"  
"Er..." She had too many questions for him that he couldn't answer, so he just kept quiet and let her talk. She gasped suddenly and Harry noticed that she was looking at his forehead.  
"Your forehead is bleeding!" Harry quickly covered up his scar better with his hand.  
"Don't worry about it," he said, "I'm fine."  
"No you're not," she said edging closer to him, "You better go and see Madame Pomfrey right away."  
"No...I shouldn't...I'm fine, really." He tried to ignore the pain in his forehead as she leaned into him to get a closer look. Harry backed up against the wall. She grabbed his wrist and yanked his hand away from his forehead.  
"Your scar! It's - "  
"I know," said Harry frustratedly, pulling his wrist away from her grasp. "I gotta go now, okay? I'll see you later." Anna-Nicole's face seemed to drop off of the front of her head.   
"Okay. See you," she said quietly, "Good luck tomorrow." Harry wasn't sure what she meant by that, but he pat her on the shoulder, took one last look at his scar in the mirror, and left the bathroom.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione sneaked down from their dormitories late at night. It was the only time the common room was empty and quiet. harry sat down on a couch in front of the smoldering fire, while Ron and Hermione positioned themselves in couches across from his. He looked into the fire remembering the night in his fourth year after dashing from the Forbidden Forest where he found out the first task of the Triwizard Cup, when he had met with Sirius there, his head in the fire. There was a cool breeze creeping through the half open window that blew the fire around in the hearth. Finally, someone spoke.   
"So, what's up, Harry?" asked Ron leaning in closer to Harry and Hermione.  
"I have a theory," responded Harry in a half whisper.  
"About?" questioned Hermione.  
"Anna-Nicole," said Harry, looking around the room. It was silent for a while until the fire cracked, breaking the silence, and the three remembered that they were in conversation.  
"What's the theory?" prodded Ron.  
"I think she's Lord Voldemort."  
"Voldemort?" said Hermione incredulously. It was a question, but the way she presented it, it sounded more like a comment.  
"How can she be Voldemort?" she added to further explain her question.  
"Have either of you noticed that every time she's near me, my scar hurts? And, today it bled. God only knows what could happen next." Ron and Hermione looked at each other without moving their heads and then both looked back at Harry.  
"It's just a theory. Neither of you have to believe it."  
"No...I believe it...sort of," said Hermione, thinking, "You mean...you think Voldemort's...possessing her?"  
"Exactly," said Harry nodding. He knew that Hermione would understand before Ron would. Either that, or Ron understood and just didn't want to say anything on the matter.  
"What reason would he have to possess her?" asked Hermione, with a quizzical look on her face.  
"Isn't it obvious? She likes me. That's Voldemort's chance to kill me. If he could be someone who follows me around all the time, then there would be some moment that he could attack me...when she and I are alone."   
"Why didn't he bother to be me or Ron then? If he wanted to be someone that follows you around?" asked Hermione.  
"I don't know."  
"It makes sense," she said, looking at Ron for his input. Harry was waiting as well.  
"So, Voldemort's here. Right under our noses. In the Ravenclaw girls' dormitory," said Ron, his fearful tone accenting his voice.   
"Yes," said Harry. He had stuck gold. His two best friends believed him. That's all he needed.  
"Best thing to do is stay away from her," suggested Hermione.  
"How am I supposed to stay away from her? She follows me like a...a -"   
"Like Voldemort following you. Like Voldemort following the - " Hermione gasped.  
"Shh!" hissed Ron.  
"Voldemort wants the golden bell; you have the golden bell. If he follows you around, he can get it back, and kill you off, so no one would know it was gone. It wouldn't be missed. Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater...he's in contact with Voldemort and he probably told Malfoy to tell his son to get it from Harry, because he knows Harry goes to school here with him. So, Harry has two spies on his wanting this bell."  
"Pipe down, Hermione! You're going to get us in trouble for being out of bed!" said Ron in a loud whisper. Hermione lowered her voice a few notches.  
"Are you listening to any of this? We're missing only three pieces of the puzzle," she said, and counted on her fingers, "What the golden bell does, why Voldemort wants it, and exactly how it came into Harry's possession. And, Harry...you're so close to Voldemort when you're close to her. That's why you should do as I say and stay away from her."  
"I can only say that I can try. And I will try. The last thing I want is to be killed."  
"Oh," Harry, Ron said with alarm, worry, and excitement in his voice, "We have Quidditch tomorrow." Ron was right. Quidditch was tomorrow - the first game of the season. Harry had, as was expected, been accepted back onto the team and he couldn't thank Dumbledore, of flatter his team much, by not showing up at the first game. Harry had forgotten entirely about the game. He wasn't even sure that he had come to all of the practices. He might have forgotten about a few of them, along with the season-opening game.  
"That's right," said Harry neutrally, "Quidditch tomorrow." he lied, "She'll be out in the stands, cheering me on. Or her own team...the game tomorrow is against Ravenclaw."  
"No doubt she'll be cheering you on as well," said Ron, "She practically is infat - "  
"Who cares who she's going to be cheering on? The point is to stay away from Anna-Nicole and to keep that bell."  
"I thought you wanted me to get rid of it," said Harry, smirking at Ron briefly.  
"Well, I changed my mind. Keep it for now. Just in case we need it for something. And, right now, I want you to fetch it for me. I'm going down to the library with it.  
"Don't you want us to come?" asked Ron.  
"You can come. I want Harry to rest. He has to be ready for the Quidditch game tomorrow," said Hermione, getting up.  
"Hey, I have Quidditch tomorrow too! Remember? I'm keeper!" boasted Ron angrily, "Have you forgotten that?"  
"No I haven't," said Hermione, "Ron come. Harry stay." Harry nodded, stood up, and went up to his dormitory to retrieve the bell for Hermione. When She and Ron heard the door of the dormitory shut, they continued arguing.  
"Why do you always go out of your way for him?" asked Ron, standing up," How come you never act that way towards me?"  
"I don't see anyone trying to kill you, Ron," snapped Hermione, "No one would have a reason to, anyway," she added.  
"I never did think that you actually liked me."  
"You're my best friend!!"  
"Harry's your best friend." Ron shook his head and went up to his dormitory, slamming its door behind him. He sat on his bed and began taking off his socks. Harry spun around to look at Ron.  
"Ron be quiet! You're going to wake everybody up! I thought you were going with Hermione, anyway."  
"Who?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Harry paused and said it a little slower.  
"Her-my-own-ee. You were going with her to the library."  
"Who's Hermione? Honestly, Harry. You might be coming down with something. I've never heard of any Hermione." Ron snapped the curtains to his four-poster shut.  
"Well, she can't go alone!" Harry half-shouted, trying to be quiet. He rolled his eyes, guessing that the two had had another argument. He went back to rummaging through his trunk. He had buried it in there purposely to hide it from everyone else, but now he couldn't find it. Then, a sound came from somewhere near Harry's bed. Neville sat up in his bed and parted his curtains. His hair was a mess from sleeping and his eyes were barely open. He looked like he would just drop back down to his pillow any second. Harry looked up at him.  
"Good morning," he said smirking. He'd laugh, but he didn't want to wake up anyone else. He was breaking a rule - he wasn't supposed to be out of bed so late at night. He didn't want to be reported to McGonagall. He'd get into great trouble.  
"Who's shouting?" asked Neville blankly, ignoring Harry's comment.   
"Well, I WAS talking to Ron," said Harry glancing at the closed curtains of Ron's bed.  
"Go talk somewhere else," said Neville groggily, "I'm trying to sleep."  
"I see that. Sorry. You can go back to sleep." He picked up a pair of his pants and a small shining object dropped to the floor, ringing joyfully.  
"What's that, Harry?" asked Neville with surprise on his face. He seemed very much more awake now. Harry bent over to pick the shiny bell up, but Neville reached out his hand and grabbed it before Harry could. This action caused him to fall off of his bed. He sat up and looked at it in his hands.  
"Neville," said Harry impatiently, "It's nothing, give it back."   
"Well if it's nothing then why do you want it back?"  
"Because...It's my nothing. Give it to me." Suddenly, Neville realized what the object that he held in his hands was.  
"It's not nothing, Harry. Nor is it your nothing," said Neville. He gasped. "This is that golden bell thing, Harry! That bell we learned about in Divination! But, how did you get it?" Neville's eyes grew wide. "It's bad luck! You have bad luck, Harry!"   
"Can I have that back, please? Thanks," Harry said (A/N: i think I put a few too many Harrys in there lol), reaching out to grab it from Neville. But, something strange happened. The ruby dangling from the string in the middle of the bell glowed brightly and began shooting red and green sparks at Neville - the red to stun him, and the green to kill him. If it didn't stun him, it would kill him; and if it didn't kill him, it would stun him. Harry couldn't think. He was so afraid for his friend that he just screamed whatever came into his mind.  
"NEVILLE MOVE!" Neville dropped the bell and jumped out of the way. Harry grabbed two pillows from Neville's bed. The bell was now spinning in circles shooting sparks everywhere. He tried the best he could to block himself and Neville from them for a long time. Seamus awoke, hearing the commotion, and tore open the curtains to his four poster. He too picked up pillows and blocked himself from being hit. Neville crawled behind Harry's trunk and whimpered, and Harry dropped to his knees, feeling that he couldn't hold himself up anymore. Luckily, the door of the dormitory burst open and a familiar voice shouted: "IMPEDIMENTA!" just as a red spark hit Harry square between the eyes.  
The room swirled around him and he found himself in a white room...although it wasn't a room...it was more of an open area. The whole space seemed to be a dark black, but a large ball sat on a pedestal in the middle of the space that gave off a blinding white light. A dark figure stood behind the pedestal and Harry moved a hand in front of his face to shield the light from his eyes, hoping to make out who the figure was. The person stepped closer to the pedestal until they were right behind the white ball. They were not, in fact, wearing black robes, but white robes. They had long hair hanging just to their shoulders and a beard...  
"Sirius!" Harry gasped. He ran for his godfather, who smiled and outstretched his arms. Harry entirely forgot that the pedestal was between them. He slammed into the white ball with great force. Harry's stomach burned, and he looked down at himself. There was a hole in his shirt that revealed a large red circle on his stomach.  
"Harry! Harry! Harry!" Sirius began saying over and over. He went to the other side of the pedestal and caught Harry as his eyes rolled back and he began falling to the soft white ground.  
"Harry...Harry..." He opened his eyes, to see a blurry Hermione hovering over him. She held two halves of his glasses in her hand.  
"What happened to me?" he asked blankly.  
"You were lucky...a stunner hit the bridge of your glasses. You just got scared and passed out." Hermione smiled a little at the thought. She pointed her wand at his broken glasses and fixed them, just as she had done about a dozen times before. Harry looked at his stomach and saw that the hole in his shirt was gone, but still, the spot where the white ball burned through twinged a bit.  
"How long was I out?" he asked, trying to act like nothing odd had happened at all. He wasn't going to tell Hermione about what he had seen yet. Not in front of Seamus and Neville. He sat up and looked at the bell, which lay motionless on the floor. He then looked at Ron's four-poster, where the curtains remained shut as they had been before everything had happened. Hermione stood up, put her wand in her pocket, and picked up the bell from the floor.  
"Maybe I should come with you to the library..." suggested Harry tentatively, "That is, if you're still going."  
"No, I'm still going. But I want you to stay. You need your rest for tomorrow," she replied, pocketing the bell as well. "Just climb into your bed and get to sleep."  
"But what if it tries to...what if it tries to kill you?" he asked, looking around at Seamus and Neville, who were both staring wide-eyed at Harry.  
"I'd like to see it try," said Hermione, forcing a smile. "Harry, I'll be fine. Trust me. I'll see you tomorrow morning."  
"See you." Hermione left the dormitory and Harry stayed silent until he heard the portrait hole close. He looked at Neville and Seamus again, and, reading their faces, grabbed his invisibility cloak from his trunk.  
  
**A/N:** That was A LOT longer than I had expected it to be. You should see the original version of that chapter in my black notebook. WHOAH. I added SOOO much while typing. I was originally going to just have Harry lower his pillows and say: maybe I should come with you to the library. But I decided to knock him out. And after going further into that, decided to go back and add a little dream sequence in there. I love the way this chapter turned out. It's so much different from the other 7 and I love it. I'll have to read it again tomorrow (which is actually today...it's 2 AM on Wednesday July 28th) to see if it's still awesome. I get my ideas at night, really. haha. Read the extra below and then the other author's note and you're outta here. Review!!!  
  
I just thought this was a funny author's joke...so I stuck it in here. This is from a chat with me and my friend Liz...I'm MrsDanJRadcliffe   
  
HippieChick2416 (5:44:19 PM): hi  
MrsDanJRadcliffe (5:49:06 PM): itchy itchy eyeball  
HippieChick2416 (5:49:22 PM): that's nice  
MrsDanJRadcliffe (5:49:26 PM): lol  
HippieChick2416 (5:49:32 PM): i'm enthralled by that information  
MrsDanJRadcliffe (5:49:38 PM): hahahahaha wtf  
HippieChick2416 (5:50:07 PM): let me put it in a language that you will understand.   
HippieChick2416 (5:50:18 PM): i don't give a f about ur eye.  
MrsDanJRadcliffe (5:50:26 PM): hahahaha no i kno enthralled  
MrsDanJRadcliffe (5:50:28 PM): im a writer  
MrsDanJRadcliffe (5:50:31 PM): doi  
HippieChick2416 (5:50:32 PM): oh sure  
HippieChick2416 (5:50:38 PM): that's what they all say  
MrsDanJRadcliffe (5:50:44 PM): erm  
MrsDanJRadcliffe (5:50:45 PM): lol  
MrsDanJRadcliffe (5:50:46 PM): chapter 7 of my story is up by the way.   
HippieChick2416 (5:50:48 PM): okay!!  
HippieChick2416 (5:50:50 PM): give me the link  
HippieChick2416 (5:51:08 PM): pleeeeeeez  
  
**A/N:** I was going to end the chapter right at: "Harry! Harry, your scar's bleeding!" also, but the chapter wouldn't be long enough. So, i decided to make it very very long to hurt your eyes as you sat at your computer reading. I was planning on putting the bleeding thing in there but I didn't know who I should make say it and when I should make it happen. I was going to have it be either Anna-Nicole, Ron, or Hermione. And, I was thinking about it happening during Harry and Anna-Nicole's date (wink) but I felt it should go during a particularly boring class...History of Magic. And I liked the idea of Harry meeting Moaning Myrtle again when he, without thinking, ran into her bathroom. I wanted to fit her in somewhere and it fit in perfectly with the History of Magic scene.


	9. Lethifolds

Harry Potter and the Golden Bell

Chapter 9

Lethifolds

A/N: Finally back on after a week. It's actually just in time because I finished this chapter last night (Thursday night) at three in the morning. I have a new story, A Day In Fantasyland, but it can't be found on here because it's written in script form, and it's really stupid and really random. To find it, you have to go to my website, . Look around it and stuff, read stories, leave reviews, and don't forget to sign the Guestbook on the Homepage! Allright...read Chapter 9 now. I left you all at a real cliffhanger there. I'm not sorry at all. Ha.

Harry ran down the stairs of the boys' dormitories to the common room, sure he would catch up with Hermione; she had only left a few seconds ago. When he got through the portrait hole, he peered around the corridors and found that Hermione was nowhere to be seen. He started walking, and broke into a run, toward the direction of the school's library. As he progressed down the corridor, the darkness grew thicker, until that it was just as black as when Harry shut his eyes.

"Lumos," he muttered to his wand. Its tip lit the corridor and he could see where he was going now. When he finally got to the library, he ran around calling her name, but she didn't answer. Something had happened to her. Harry finally gave up and headed back to Gryffindor Tower. He began running his Nearly Headless Nick was laying on a banister near the portrait of the Fat Lady and lifted his head when he saw Harry coming. He had forgotten to replace his invisibility cloak over him.

"Hello, Mr. Potter...what are we doing out of bed?" Harry looked at Sir Nicholas and sighed.

"Hermione went to the library and I came after her, but I didn't see her. Did you happen to?"

"Yes I did...but it was the strangest thing...this girl...she had black hair I believe...her name slips my mind..."

"Anna-Nicole?" asked Harry incredulously.

"Yes, that's it. Well, she came and put her hand on Miss Granger's mouth and dragged her off somewhere. I tried to stop her, but...well...I couldn't do anything..." he poked Harry with a finger, and it went right through him. Sir Nicholas shrugged.

"Anna-Nicole...did she look...normal?"

"Well...all except her eyes. They were - "

"Red?"

"Precisely. And, I suggest, that you go and see Dumbledore about this."

"Exactly what I'm doing tomorrow. I'll have all day...it's Saturday." Harry paused, then said, "Was Anna-Nicole...just standing outside of the Fat Lady's portrait?"

"Yes she was...as if she knew Miss Granger was coming."

"Thank you Sir Nicholas - Diricawl feathers." The portrait swung open and Harry climbed inside. He clambered up the stairs to his dormitory and went inside. Seamus and Neville had both gone back to sleep, so he decided to bother Ron with the information. He parted Ron's curtains and sat at the end of his bed.

"Ron..." he whispered, just loud enough for his friend to hear. Ron moaned.

"Don't touch...the hippogriff...It's...rabid.."

"RON!" Ron sat up and looked at Harry.

"Listen...Hermione's gone."

"That's interesting." Ron laid back down and closed his eyes. Harry frowned.

"Ron! Listen to me...Hermione's been kidnapped! Voldemort took her somewhere! I just don't know where..." This seemed to peak Ron's interest.

"Voldemort kidnapped her?" He opened his eyes and sat back up. Harry told Ron all about Hermione leaving for the library, but not getting there. When he was finished, Ron looked depressed.

"You okay?" asked Harry.

"Well...it's just...the last thing I said to her was...'Harry's your best friend'." (A/N: aww poor Ron...) Harry looked down and he sat with his friend in silence for a little, until he decided to go back to bed. It was getting rather late, and he'd have to catch Dumbledore early in the morning, when the headmaster was out of his office. He pat Ron on the back, got out of his friend's bed, and then back into his own. He got himself comfortable and began thinking. He thought about everything. He began with the golden bell. What I was /I it? How did it work? Why did Voldemort want it? And, it wanted to kill him...it wanted to kill Hermione. What if it already had? Well, it couldn't have...Anna-Nicole kidnapped her; she wasn't dead....was she? She couldn't be dead! She just couldn't! But...where could Anna-Nicole have taken her? It was all so frustrating to Harry. If something had happened to his friend, he would never forgive himself. After all, he could have stopped her from going to the library. Well...he did. But, he knew he could have tried harder. He could have prevented anything from happening. He could have gotten rid of the bell, along with any problems involving it. He could have forced Ron to go with her. But, then there was a problem even so. Harry remembered Voldemort's words on the night of the third task of the Triwizard Tournament in his fourth year at Hogwarts. I Kill the spare. /I Voldemort would have captured Ron as well and brought him with Hermione, who had the bell. That was the only reason that he had kidnapped Hermione, was because she had the bell. The other alternative, of course, was giving it to Malfoy when he had asked. And, that was another thing. Why I did /I Malfoy ask? Well...that had been figured out...Draco wanted it for his father, who was a Death Eater...to give to Voldemort. His tiredness was now getting the better of him. After a while, he gave himself up to sleep, his own words ringing in his ears: "I can only say that I can try. The last thing I want is to be killed."

Harry woke up at 10:00 the next morning. He luckily had had a dreamless sleep. It was the first one in a long time. He got up after a few minutes of just laying there, telling himself that he was going to get up in 5 minutes. Then, 5 more minutes. Then, maybe 10 more. He pulled on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and some socks, brushed his hair (though it stayed askew on his head - there was no taming it), and headed down to the common room. He stopped when he saw Ron sitting in front of the fire, which was crackling joyfully, and dancing about the hearth. Harry approached him cautiously and sat next to him. Ron glanced at Harry and then looked back at the fire. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes.

"Hey," Ron said blankly and unsurely, as though he had been thinking about it the entire time.

"Hey," Harry replied, "Are you sure you're allright?" Ron nodded. "Just a little...depressed. That's all." he shook his head. "I feel so guilty, Harry. If I didn't get mad at her and just had gone with her, nothing would have happened."

"I feel guilty too," said Harry, pondering the fact that if Ron had gone with her, he would have had the chance to be kidnapped as well; but he didn't say anything about it.

"I could have stopped her. But, there's nothing we can do now," said Harry thoughtfully, "Except to talk to Dumbledore."

"You're going to talk to Dumbledore?" asked Ron, finally deciding to look Harry in the eye.

"Yeah," replied Harry, "Do you want to come?"

"I suppose," he said, sighing, "What else am I to do, now that Hermione's gone?" There was a pause, and then Harry said slowly, "You don't by any chance I like /I Hermione, do you?" It was the first time that he had brought up the question, and the response was just as he had expected. Ron looked offended, then said, "Are you mad? Liking Hermione... whatever would make you think that?" Harry sighed and stood up.

"Just a thought. Come on, let's go." Harry and Ron crawled through the portrait hole and headed down the corridor to the Great Hall. Breakfast was over at 9:45, but Harry was sure that Dumbledore was still hanging around the Hall (A/N: I was looking for a synonym for chatting and I found tinkling...but Harry was sure that Dumbledore was still hanging around the Hall tinkling with the other staff members ((giggles 13 year old-ish-ly...cuz that's what I am)) ) conversing with the other staff members, or if not, walking back from breakfast. Harry and his friend proceeded quietly down to the Hall and walked up the aisle to the teacher's table, where, coincidently Dumbledore was sitting talking to Professor McGonagall. A gasp and a crash came from Harry's left. He looked past Ron to a table where Colin Creevey was sitting next to his brother, Dennis. He had attempted to get up, but had fallen backwards off of the bench. Harry stopped walking and Ron followed suit. Colin scrambled up and made his way over to Harry and Ron.

"Hi, Harry!" He said enthusiastically, "Do you want to see my collection?"

"Collection of what?"

"I've compiled an entire bundle of things about...you!" he squeaked, triumphantly. (A/N: this doesn't tell the story at all so don't even consider it..I just love Colin Creevey and this shows how downright obsessive he is) Harry looked at Ron, who shrugged.

"Sure," said Harry, looking back at Colin, trying to hold back laughter. Colin beamed, then led Harry and Ron to a table, where a load of things lay. He started at the end of the collection.

"This is a list of quotes...from the first day i saw you at Hogwarts...I'll start at 113. "Where is my sock?" "Maybe he hid it somewhere." "My toe itches." "I think that kid is crazy." "Colin, please get your camera out of my face." "Colin, I won't say it again." "I'll see you later." "Let go of my hand." "Stop - " "

"Okay that's enough."

"Allright," said Colin, putting down the stack of papers. He moved on to a photo album. He opened it. It consisted mostly of Harry's profile. There was one of him tying his shoe, one of him dropping his books, an embarrassing one of him with juice coming out of his nose from laughing too hard and trying to stop it, one of his shoes, one of his hand trying to cover the camera lens, and even a pitch black one. Colin explained that he had zoomed in on Harry's robes too far. If Ron had been drinking something, Harry was sure that whatever he was drinking would be coming out of I his /I nose. Colin also revealed a display of a few of Harry's possessions, including socks, a muggle pen, a toothpick, a lock of hair, ((Harry felt his head...it was a rather large lock of hair)), a black T-shirt, and many other items. After a while, Ron tapped Harry on the shoulder. When he looked, Ron pointed toward the staff table, where Dumbledore should have been sitting. Instead, only his empty chair stood there. A few empty chairs stood around Dumbledore's and Harry assumed that a few other teachers had left with Dumbledore.

"And, I found this wad of rubbery pink stuff. I don't know exactly what it is...but it had your - "

"Uh, Colin...we have to go...this has been fun. Maybe we can do it again sometime," said Harry, barely thinking about what he was going to say before he said it. Ron chuckled.

"Loads of fun," he said.

"See you later, Colin," said Harry, grabbing Ron by the wrist and pulling him up the aisle toward the door before he could say goodbye to Colin.

"I swear...that kid is insane," said Ron, now seemingly happier that he had been when he had left the Common Room with Harry.

"Great, so now I know that all I need is an insane kid with my chewed bubblegum to cheer you up," said Harry thickly. Ron frowned. "Meanwhile, you sit in front of the fire and mope about Hermione, deny that you fancy her - "

"I don't fancy her! I've already told you!" exclaimed Ron. He tried not to get too angry with his friend. He knew that Harry had been under so much stress these past few days, and understood that if he had gotten angry, it was only a moment's time until he had vented on Ron. Harry shook his head and realized what he had just said. "Come on," he said gruffly, pulling Ron along in the direction of Dumbledore's office. They turned a corner, and found Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Professor Dumbledore walking together and chatting conversationally.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry called without thinking. He didn't want to lose the Headmaster, right when he had him in front of him. The group halted, and its three members turned their heads. Harry jogged to catch up with them and plainly said, "Professor Dumbledore, I need to talk to you right now. The golden bell...it's inside Hogwarts. But...I'm not sure if it still is...it was taken. Listen, I need to talk to you." The white-blue fire in Dumbledore's eyes flickered briefly, though his face remained expressionless.

"Very well then. Follow me. Goodbye, Minerva, Severus. It was nice talking to you." Harry realized that he was still clutching Ron's wrist, and let go. He, Ron, and Dumbledore continued forward towards the large entrance of Dumbledore's office.

"Wait," said Snape. The three turned around. "The golden bell. Where did you find out about such a thing?"

"Divination," Harry lied. He wasn't going to tell anyone except Dumbledore about his dreams, especially Snape. The greasy-haired Professor eyed him with suspicion, and became lost in thought. "Good day, Professor," said Harry, ending the conversation. He wanted to talk to Dumbledore immediately, if not, sooner.

"Good day, Mr. Potter," hissed Snape. After Harry, Ron, and Dumbledore had gotten a few meters away from he and McGonagall, Harry was sure that he had heard his Transfiguration Professor ask Snape what this was "all about." When the trio reached the entrance, Dumbledore spoke very clearly, "Tarantula Pastry Puff." The large stone gargoyle spun around, and the three of them climbed the stairs, Dumbledore at the head. Once they were all up the stairs, the gargoyle spun around once more and the door vanished. Harry found himself in the familiar office of his Headmaster; the room he had been in countless times, when any other student of the school would barely even give the thought that Dumbledore even had an office.

"Please sit down," Dumbledore said hoarsely. Harry and Ron did as they were told, and the old Headmaster took a seat behind his desk. Dumbledore, as many knew, was completely imperturbable and would always hear out any student. He was particularly patient with Harry, as he came to visit him often. His blue eyes, now back to their frozen, twinkling state, stared at both Harry and Ron for a while, until he focused on Harry and spoke.

"Speak," he said merely. Harry hesitated, then explained the entire thing to Dumbledore...from his first dream, to the night before when Hermione was taken. When he had finished, Dumbledore stared at him still, with the exact same expression that he had possessed when he had entered his office with his two students. If he was worried at all about the matter, one wouldn't be able to identify that feeling from looking at him. Ron sank into his chair, feeling intruded by Dumbledore's gaze.

"Curious...very curious..." Harry had half expected him to act up upon hearing this information.

"Would...you want to talk to Anna-Nicole?" asked Harry awkwardly.

"This, Harry, is one time in my life, in which I do not know what to do," he said, "But I do know, however, that what ever is to be done, shall be resolved by a certain group of people...and that group of people does not include two sixteen year old wizards." Harry frowned.

"I can't do ANYTHING? Anything at ALL?"

"If you can think up a plan as to get Voldemort out of Miss Ginnesbrook's body and far away from Hogwarts that would be better than any thought up by a member of the Ministry, then yes. You may help...but Mr. Potter...I do not advise you to get close to Miss Ginnesbrook, as Miss Granger has told you many times, I'm sure. Voldemort will kill you any chance he gets. Be on the lookout, Harry." His eyes shifted to Ron, "And you may help spy." Harry felt that Dumbledore was treating this whole thing as a game, and it angered him a bit. He tried to tell him in a more condensed version of his thoughts.

"But sir...this is serious. Shouldn't you tell someone?"

"The only people that will know, are the people that already know, with the addition of a few selected individuals of my choice. Anna-Nicole's parents will not be warned now. And, neither will Anna-Nicole."

"But she's in danger! He could very well kill her! I'm certain that you haven't forgotten four years ago with Ginny Weasley - "

"I shall deal with Miss Ginnesbrook, and the Ministry. For now, I want the both of you to head back Gryffindor Tower, or where ever you were planning to go for the day. Off you go, then." Harry and Ron both stood, said good day, and headed out the door.

"He's treating this as if it's a game! As if it's some...some...Nintendo game."

"A what?" Harry shook his head.

"Muggle game system. Dudley plays it...I've gotten my hands on it a few times...it's allright. Anyway, I think he should be more serious about this. Voldemort is in the school again. That's what my dream meant, when it said he was back; he's back in the school. But...if he's possessing Anna-Nicole, then what happened to his body?"

"I don't know. Something might've happened to it. He's probably gone parasitic again." Ron chuckled, "Either that or the space for his brain was too large and it rolled around in there when he walked." It wasn't really very funny, but Harry and Ron laughed out loud all the same.

It was the following Thursday, now brinking on the next Hogsmeade weekend, and Harry's date with Voldemort. Er...Anna-Nicole. He was none too excited about this, and wished that he had more time than two days. Saturday was the day. Harry and Ron walked from class to class together, chatting, and trying not to think about Hermione not being with them. They walked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts room and found that Snape was teaching the class again today. Once everyone was in place, he emerged from a dark corner and went to the front of the room.

"Open your books to page 251." The class got out their books and began flipping though the pages to find 251. When Harry got to the page, he was staring at a picture of a large black cloak, though it wasn't exactly like a cloak. It looked alive. And, surely it was; the heading at the top of the page said: Lethifolds.

"Now, today the lesson is on Lethifolds. I have many doubts that any of you will come across a Lethifold in your ordinary travels, but for some of us," he looked at Harry, "this information may be valuable. If you read down the page, you will see what the purpose for a Lethifold is. They are almost always used illegally and if you see a Lethifold, well...you won't. Unless of course someone near you is sleeping, as they only kill sleeping humans. If you see one however, you will have to use the Patronus Charm. Now, the steps to doing the Patronus Charm may seem easy, but in reality, are not." Snape paused. "Think of your happiest memory and point your wand at the Lethifold and say: Expecto Patronum. They are very much like dementors. Along with killing, they will take away all of your happy memories." Snape was now pacing up and down the aisles with his hands behind his back. He passed Harry and wiggled his fingers. When Harry looked, he noticed that there was a small piece of folded up parchment. He dropped it on Harry's desk and continued walking and talking. Harry opened up the parchment and read: "Come to my office tomorrow after your last class. Come alone."

"Because I am feeling extra...lighthearted today, I am giving two rolls of parchment on the Lethifold. Due tomorrow." The groans from the class weren't really from the amount of homework, but just the homework itself.

"And your foul complaining will only increase the assignment to three!" Many were quiet after that and Snape displayed his horrid grin.

Harry and Ron headed down to the Great Hall after Transfiguration for dinner. As they traveled through the corridors, Harry noticed an increase of smiles in his direction. It felt very much like first year again.

"What happened to all of the girls?" asked Ron, "I think they all went crazy."

"They've always been crazy." Harry waved at someone who had been waving at him.

"But, I mean...there are more staring at you then usual."

"Hi, Harry!" Anna-Nicole bounced in front of her and he came very close to another head-on with her. She was beaming, and Harry put two and two together.

"What did you say to them?"

"What did I say to who?" asked Anna-Nicole.

"Them - all of them!" said Harry, gesturing to a small cluster of whispering Hufflepuff females.

"Oh, nothing. I'll see you Saturday, Harry. The coffee shop, right?"

"Er...right," said Harry.

"Allright. And, I'll see you at dinner too! Actually, do you mind if I walk with you and your red-haired friend?"

"It's Ron," Ron retorted irritably.

"Oh, right. Ron. Where's that other girl? Hermione is it?"

"Sure, she remembers her name," he muttered to himself.

"Yeah, Hermione. She's uh...hey, Anna-Nicole, can I talk to you for a second? I'll see you in a few minutes, Ron. You can start eating without me."

"You sure? Allright then. See you." Ron headed off, as Harry grabbed Anna-Nicole's hand and dragged her to a corner.

"Listen...you are in great danger."

"What do you mean, Harry?"

"Have you ever...have you ever felt anything weird? Any..odd sensations? Like you want to kill someone?" She was silent for a moment and then she nodded.

"What do suppose that's from?"

"I don't know," she said shaking her head. After a long time of staring at each other, she put her hands on his shoulders and he felt his scar burn. He ignored it though and put his hands on her waist. He knew what was coming and he was just going to let it happen. She leaned forward, he leaned forward and they both engaged themselves in a slow kiss. After a few seconds, footsteps came near them.

"I suppose you're enjoying yourself making out in the hallways, Potter, but now is not the time." Harry pried himself off of Anna-Nicole and looked at Snape.

"I expect to see you tomorrow, Potter," he said, with a hinting look. "Good night." And with that, the greasy haired Potions master continued on to the Great Hall. Harry looked at Anna-Nicole and said hastily, "I'll see you later, okay?"

"O-okay. Bye, Harry." He smiled briefly and shot down the halls to dinner. When he got there, he took his place next to Ron, just as Dumbledore was quieting the Hall for announcements.

"Slap me, will you?"

"Why?" asked his friend.

"I think I like her."

"Who?"

"Who else?" A grin spread across Ron's face and he pat Harry on the

back.

"Way to go, mate."

"Ah yes, the end of the year is sliding around the bend. Already, our last Hogsmeade trip is this weekend, the seventh years are graduating, and next year our sixth years will take their place. The outcome of the House Cup as of now seems to be Ravenclaw house as the winners. But I'm sure that the other three houses shall bring themselves up this coming week to the example that has been set. I also do believe, that in this next week, seventh years will be taking N.E.W.T.s. I wish them all very good luck on their exams and I am announcing that all exams start Wednesday morning. All of you must be down here at 7:00 sharp. Not a minute too late, or too soon. I am also sure that you have noticed that there was no Quidditch game today. The last game has been moved to Sunday, as tomorrow you need to be in classes, and Saturday studying after you get back from Hogsmeade Village. Again, good luck on exams, and let's all have a good night's sleep tonight so we're not all tired for the last day of classes. That will be all, thank you." Dumbledore sat down, and food appeared on the tables.

"So...you got Anna-Nicole?" asked Ron, grabbing a drumstick.

"I don't "got" anything," said Harry. He speared some turkey and put it on his plate.

"Hm. Well. Judging by the fact that you smell like women's perfume..." Harry rolled his eyes and toyed a bit with the turkey fat on his plate.

"Hermione's missing NEWTS," said Harry in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"Yeah," said Ron sadly, "Maybe she'll be back before Wednesday," he added brightening.

"I don't know...depending on where An... - Vo - ...You-Know-Who took her."

"I sure hope she's allright..." said Ron distantly. Harry shook his head.

"You do like her, Ron."

"So what?" he choked. Harry smiled and shook his head.

"Why don't you ask her out?"

"I'm not asking her out! You're mad! She'll skin me!" Harry laughed.

"I don't know if she'd go that far."

"OKAY! Change of subject! Merlin, the turkey's good tonight. M, m. Better hurry up and eat it, Harry; there's not going to be any left in a few seconds."

After dinner, Harry slipped into his pajamas and settled into bed. He lay there for a while and closed his eyes.

I "Harry Potter..." /I Harry's eyes flashed open, and he looked around the room.

"Who's there?" he said carelessly. He waited a few seconds, and then closed his eyes again.

I "Harry Potter!" /I Harry finally sprang up out of bed and jumped into Ron's.

"Harry...are you hearing voices again? There's no one there. Go back to your own bed."

"No I need to sleep with you," said Harry. Ron opened his eyes and he looked at him.

"You're mad! Get out of my bed!"

"But - "

"Harry!"

"Fine." Harry got up and got back into bed and went straight to sleep.

A/N: Before I get a review about this, you notice that the beginning of the story isn't on the Hogwarts Express...it's actually almost at the end of the year anyway. And Quidditch..well there was too much to put into this chapter to do a Quidditch Game. There will be in Chapter 12...but don't get worked up about that...you'll still get some good stuff in Chapters 10 and 11. I know exactly what's going to happen still. Sorry about the Quidditch thing, really I am. I'm working on literally five stories at once. Two of which haven't even been posted on my website, nor on I'm almost done with Chapter 1 of one of them - Harry Potter and the Diamond Studded Compass - that one should be good. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Send lots of reviews!!


	10. Who, What, Why, and How

Harry Potter and the Golden Bell  
Chapter 10  
Who, What, Why, and How  
  
A/N: I know, I know...my italics didn't work in the last chapter. I know how to work them, now. I have a mac and I have to email my story to my dad's windows in order to post. When i make it italics in the Microsoft Word document, it doesn't work. I think I'm right when I say that I can add italics in the Quick Edit/Preview thing on I really hope I'm right. Arg. READ, DARN YOU.  
  
Harry sat in his last class of the day, Transfiguration, with Ron. They were supposed to be turning a baby duck into a daffodil. They looked similar, so it couldn't turn out all bad. Ron snorted. Harry looked at him and saw that his baby duck had a snout like the yellow cylinder on a white and yellow daffodil.

"What are we supposed to be doing this for? When are we possibly going to need to turn a duck into a bunch of flowers? Hmm...I'm sorry Mr. Weasley, you cannot become an Auror because you didn't turn your blasted duck into a flower. Psh. Hermione could do it. She'd do it in one try." Ron waved his wand again, and its small, feathery wings turned into two white petals. He grimaced at the new creature and set his wand down in front of him.

"I'm going to the bathroom. Not because I have to go, but because this is just really boring." Ron stood up, and Harry shook his head smiling. He was right, Hermione could do it, even if Harry and Ron couldn't. And, if that was the case, she would transfigure their ducks for them to get them a passing grade. Harry waved his wand and his duck turned into a perfect daffodil. He smiled at it, picked it up, and caressed its stem with his fingertips. He missed Hermione. She and Ron were his best friends...his first friends, come to think of it. He met both of them in first year, and they had been friends ever since. He never had any, really, while he was with the Dursleys, before Hogwarts. Save for one of Dudley's friends that thought he was 'cool.' He'd hang out with Harry sometimes, but he stopped coming to the house. Harry sighed and put down the daffodil. He waved his wand and it turned back into a duck with two green legs. He tried again, and its webbed feet were replaced. Professor McGonagall came over to Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you allright, Potter?" McGonagall was there for him as well. She had been there when he was given to the Dursleys, almost sixteen years ago. Harry nodded and looked up at her face. She looked worried as well. She had never seemed so old to Harry before, but now, her wrinkles seemed deeper, and she held a look of anguish on her face. She knew that Hermione was very close to him, and she knew that the absence of her would impress Harry greatly.

"I'm sorry, Potter. I truly am," she said, rubbing his shoulder. Then, she left for the next table. Harry sighed and began thinking about Sirius. What if she _did _end up dead? He shook off the thought and went back to transfiguring his duck.

------------

The bell rang, followed by a "Thank God" from Ron. They both began gathering up their things.

"Hey, listen, I have to go talk to Professor Snape," said Harry.

"Since when do you talk to Snape? And since when do you call him Professor?"

"Since he asked me to and since McGonagall's in the room. See you at dinner," he added, and headed out the door. He saw Malfoy there, talking to a few friends, with Pansy Parkinson hanging on his every word...and his right arm.

"I'm quite glad she's gone," he was saying, "Stupid git interrupting the class. Now we're free of that. You know, if I was Headmaster, I'd eliminate Gryffindors. Who needs them, anyway? Especially that great mudblood."

"I hope you're not talking about Hermione."

"Who else would I be talking about? It's all over school, her mysterious disappearance. Bloody thing probably got lost in the Forbidden Forest."

"She wouldn't go into the Forbidden Forest...what with Voldemort back at Hogwarts." A few of the Slytherins looked at Harry.

"How would you know?" asked Malfoy, sneering. Harry pointed to his scar.

"I can tell when he's near. And right now I wager hes wandering about the halls...in the Ravenclaw Common Room possibly." Harry shrugged and began walking again. He new Malfoy didn't care, what with his dad being a Death Eater.

"Potter." Harry stopped and turned around. "Where is the golden bell?" Harry shook his head.

"Hermione had it," he said, "the night she was kidnapped." Malfoy was quiet for a while and just glared after Harry.

"See you at dinner," he said politely, and continued on his way once again. Once he reached the Potions Room, he knocked at the closed door.

"Professor Snape?" he called. He opened the door and went inside. "Professor Snape," he called again. The Potions master came out of his office and eyed Harry.

"Close the door," he said. Harry did so. "Sit down." Harry sat down. Snape sat across from him and stared at him for a while. He took out his wand, touched it to Harry's forehead, and moved his hair out of his way to see his scar. He moved it over his scar and it twinged a bit. Harry winced, but otherwise didn't move. Snape then put his wand back into his robes and covered his chest with them, crossing his arms.

"What do you know about the golden bell, Harry?" Harry thought a moment.

"Voldemort wants it," he said. Snape nodded.

"That's right," he said.

"And I know its story...and it tried to kill me."

"What else do you know?" Harry thought that if Snape really wanted to get everything out of him, he would think to use Veritaserum, but no, he opt not to.

"He's in the school. Voldemort is. He kidnapped Hermione Granger." Snape nodded again.

"But you do not know what it does, what it's for, why Voldemort wants it."

"Correct," said Harry. "I just know that he kidnapped Hermione because she had it." Snape again nodded, and stood up. He began walking around the room, not looking at Harry much.

"The other day, Mr. Potter, when you were with Miss Ginnesbrook, I stopped you purposely. Not only because it's against school rules to be kissing another student in the hallways, but because she is Voldemort. She just doesn't know it. If you would have continued, about 2 more seconds would have been all he would have needed to suck out your soul and kill you. If it wouldn't have been for me preventing you from taking part in such an act, you would not be here right now." Harry was stunned. Shocked beyond all belief. Snape had saved his life. Again. Why, though? Why did he keep doing this? He knew for a fact that Snape did not like his father, and that he and the rest of the Marauders called him Snivellus in school. They also picked on him, pranked him, and fought with him. Why would he be saving the life of the son of someone he despised?

"Why...why did you do that?"

"Your father and I were very close, Mr. Potter. So...close, that we would be rolling on each other punching each other's brains out. (A/N: I'm so glad I'm the one writing this so I can keep Snape from confessing his true love for James Potter, as others would, I'm sure) But, I still knew him and knew he would die. And cared that he would die. When he did, I thought about where you would go. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Hagrid took you to your aunt and uncle's, and...the rest you shall not know for a few years, at the very least.

"Now, I told you to come here to tell you about the golden bell." Harry nodded, and Snape leaned against a wall.

"If you know the story about the little boy who was given the bell, you wouldn't know that there are a few pieces missing from the puzzle. You're probably wondering where the boy's parents, Frederick, his name was, got the bell. Here's the answer. One night a man came to the family's house. He was dressed entirely in black, and his face wasn't at all visible. But he did present to the father, whom that night had answered the door, the golden bell. The man didn't explain why, but ran away and vanished into the dark of the night.  
The next day, however, the man returned to the house, completely unable to be seen, as he had an Invisibility Cloak in his possession. He put the mother and father under the Imperius Curse and were told to give the bell to the little boy. Here's how the bell works. It is given only to people who Lord Voldemort is looking for to kill. It acts as a location detector. Voldemort knows, by the bell, where the person that he's sent it to is. Once he knows that, he sends out a Death Eater to capture that person, and take them back to Voldemort to kill them. How does Voldemort know where to send the bell? He doesn't, really. He just sends it to whoever he's wanting to kill, using a very complicated spell. Now, Harry," Snape walked in front of Harry's desk, and fastened his hands onto it, his fingers curled around the edges of it, gripping it tightly, as though he was attempting to prevent it from moving somewhere. "Where is the golden bell?" he said slowly. Harry stared at Snape for a while, then confessed.

"It was sent to me. After I woke up from a nightmare, I found the bell on my nightstand. It wasn't there when I went to bed."

"Do you still have it?"

"No. I had given it to Hermione to take to the library to do research on it." It was Snape's turn to stare at Harry.

"Miss Granger has been kidnapped."

"By Anna-Nicole, who is Voldemort."

"He must have sent it to you, to kill you. He got signals from it saying that it was in the Gryffindor Common Room and was heading near the entrance to it."

"He didn't send a Death Eater, though. He wanted to kidnap me himself, he wanted to kill me himself. But...that doesn't explain one thing."

"What?" asked Snape anxiously. His knuckles were turning white from holding onto the desk.

"Draco Malfoy asked me for the bell...he knew I had it, because he overheard me talking to Hermione and Ron about it during Care of Magical Creatures. He wanted it for his father, right? Lucius Malfoy? He's a Death Eater, isn't he? He wants the bell. But why would he want it?" Snape's face grew colder than it had already been, it was now frozen in its expressionless state. His face looked like stone. Cold stone. And the more Harry looked at it, the more he was convinced that Snape had somehow been turned into a hard marble. He straightened up, his hands unclenched the desk finally.

"How do you know that Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater?" he asked, coldly.

"I've known for a few years now," replied Harry, his voice quaking ever so slightly, as the result of the new fear that had been placed inside him, "Why does it matter?" Snape watched Harry again.

"I'm not answering that question," he said plainly.

"Fine...then answer me this," said Harry, "Why do you care where the golden bell is?" Snape's eyes flickered.

"I'm not answering that, either," he said, forcing himself to remain calm.

"Then how do you know all this? How do you know the missing parts of the story? How the golden bell works? How do you know?" Harry of course knew the answer to this question. He just wanted to hear Snape say it: 'I was a Death Eater.' He also knew, however, that he wouldn't.

"Mr. Potter, that is beside the point," said Snape, his eyes widening, and the volume of his voice increasing.

"It's not beside the point!" retorted Harry, the level of his voice now matching Snape's, "You told me to come here to talk about the golden bell! I want to know why you're asking where it is!"

"Mister Potter," Snape said slowly, "Take your seat and listen, or leave the room." Harry stood there for a while, and then realized that he had indeed risen out of his seat. Then, he thought of something. A plan. A plan to get Anna-Nicole free of who was possessing her.

"I think you've gotten all of the information you need, and I've gotten all I need." Harry turned around, and began heading for the door.

"Allright, have it your way, Potter! Don't expect this again from me! Next time you're on the brink of death, don't expect me to save your bloody life!" Harry tried hard to act nonplussed by this, but it had really hurt. It also got him wondering. What if it just so happened, that something like that took place? Harry pictured himself being suspended in the air by a beam of light coming from Lord Voldemort's wand. He pictured himself screaming. And, Snape stood there under a hood next to the rest of the Death Eaters in a line with his eyebrows raised and smirking. Harry reached for Snape...

He blasted through the door and stormed down the hallway, listening to the door of the Potions classroom slam behind him. It was a half hour until dinner, and if Harry hurried, he could catch Ron on his way out of the Common Room and tell him what he planned to do. When he reached the Fat Lady's portrait, he opened his mouth to say the password, when it swung open, revealing a read-headed boy. Harry grabbed his robes and tugged him back into the Common Room.

"Harry! Wha - " He proceeded up the stairs to the dormitories, and opened the door to his and Ron's. He planted Ron onto a bed and closed the door.

"Listen, I've got an idea," he said, sitting on a bed opposite the one that his friend was sitting on. "I thought of it while I was in Snape's office."

"How did that go, anyway?" asked Ron.

"I'll tell you at dinner," said Harry. "But listen. Tomorrow is Hogsmeade. I'll go out with Anna-Nicole as planned, and I'll play up the whole thing...I'll act like I like her and everything...but then Sunday, before the Quidditch game, I'll take her to the Forbidden Forest and dump her." Ron stared at Harry with an almost pained look on his face.

"And the purpose of this is...what?"

"To get rid of Voldemort. She'll bust up into tears and probably never get near me again. When I break up with her, Voldemort can't get near enough to kill me again...he'll have to do it right then and there."

"Are you sure you want to do this Sunday? Before the Quidditch game? He might hurt you, Harry. Then you can't play. Why don't you do it Monday? Then there's Tuesday to rest up, and then Wednesday...exams..." Ron's voice trailed off there and he looked down. Harry sighed.

"Hermione's fine, Ron." He shook his head and said, "I'll do it Monday, fine." Ron nodded and the two headed down to dinner.  
  
A/N: yay! I finished this on the 13th...posting it tomorrow...14th...so yea. I hope this keeps you reading...only 4 chapters left to write!!! Keep lookin' back and as always LEAVE GOOD REVIEWS!  
Oh, hey...I got news. I got a letter back from Kenneth Branagh!! a.k.a. Gilderoy Lockhart in Chamber of Secrets. he sent a picture...with a REAL signature. It says: Meredith - Best Wishes Kenneth Branagh. I am SSSOOOO excited!  
UPDATE - I found errors in chapters 8 and 9 having to do with exam years. I said N.E.W.T.s are taken in 6th year. I was wrong. lol. I fixed both though. I have a few more things to fix...I'm too lazy, really, to fix them. They will come and I will say when I do. Thank you!  
EXTRAS  
okay a few extras below here....read through them. They're pretty funny.  
  
This is an actual conversation that I had on mugglenet. I was in the chat room all night last night and must have left it on. I had a few private messages, so I looked through them and responded to them all to see who was still available and who wasn't. I re-typed this whole thing...because I can't do copy and paste in the private messages. I'm MrsDanJRadcliffe (that's also my AIM screenname if anyone wants to IM me sometime..I'm on all the time...so is DAnFeTisH. If i don't answer on MrsDan, or have my away message up, try DAnFeTisH.)  
  
missMalfoy: Hi. Interesting SN. May I please talk to you?  
missMalfoy: ok bye.  
missMalfoy: hi. Interesting SN. May I please talk to you?  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: hi  
missMalfoy: hello finally!  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: er...I was sleeping  
missMalfoy: ok. sleeping yes.  
missMalfoy: I like your SN. very either literal or inventive?  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: well er  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: dans 15  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: I don't think he could actually be married.  
missMalfoy: Dan! I love Dan!  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: um  
missMalfoy: Dan Dan Dan  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: ..  
missMalfoy: it's like a prayer.  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: uh huuuhh....  
missMalfoy: do you like dan?  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: no  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: that's why my sn is mrsdanjradcliffe  
missMalfoy: ok.  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: ..................  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: I was being sarcastic.  
missMalfoy: ok  
missMalfoy: I'm gonna stalk dan when i'm older  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: ...why?  
missMalfoy: swipe knifes at his feet from under the car and stuff.  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: ...why?  
missMalfoy: because i love him and i must have him  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: hes not going to like you if you knife him  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: and if you want dan, then why is your sn missMALFOY??  
missMalfoy: listen i have to go. perhaps we can talk again sometime.  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: um..whatever  
missMalfoy: ok thanks bye  
MrsDanJRadcliffe: ok...bye  
  
hahaha. Okay now I have another story. This is really funny...but it sort of wasn't at the time. Last night, I was on the computer writing chapter 2 of Diamond Studded Compass and talking to people on AIM. My friend Kelly was watching the Rascal Flatts (country singer...) concert and said she would tell me the songs that were on so I didn't miss my favorites. So, I reach for my bottle of pop, and my hand bumps it, making it fling pop all over my stuff. (i have my notebooks, pen holder, cds etc. on top of two stacked bins) I went to clean it up, and my hand knocked a box of thumbtacks. The plastic box fell and broke, and the thumbtacks scattered all over the floor underneath my desk. I got a paper towel and started picking everything up because if the sugar hardened in the pop, if would get sticky, and my parents would get mad...I'm in the living room after all. I looked at Kelly's IM and she said that one of my favorite songs, "Love You Out Loud" was on.  
  
That's it for the extras!! Thanks for reading!! I'll have 11 out soon. I'm slowing down because I'm working on 9 other stories and I really need to do those as well. If you don't see 10 stories on my profile, it's because some are on my site. Go to my profile and go to my site. IT'S NOT THE ONE WITH THE LINK AT THE TOP UNDER HOMEPAGE. that site is dead and I'm only leaving it there because I need to pay for it.  
....Thank yoouu!


	11. The Date With Death

Harry Potter and the Golden Bell  
Chapter 11  
The Date With Death  
  
A/N: I am SO pooped out. I'm glad that this story only has 4 chapters left to go including this one. I have 12 stories in the works. argh. READ, DARN U SO THAT I FEEL LIKE I WROTE THIS FOR A REASON!!  
  
Harry and Ron headed down to breakfast together, talking about everything but Anna-Nicole. It was difficult avoiding the subject, because today was Harry's date. Once they got to the Gryffindor table, Dumbledore was ready to give announcements. He stepped up to the large podium at the front of the Hall, and the chattering slowly died down.

"Is everyone ready for exams?" he said, his eyes twinkling, and a slight grin spreading across his wrinkled face. Ron looked down at his empty plate, and Harry, noticing, pat him on the shoulder. It was obvious that he was missing Hermione. There were silent mixed responses from the Hall at that. Dumbledore's grin evolved into a smile, and he chuckled.

"Study hard, everyone. And sixth years, I'm reminding you that N.E.W.T. preparation year is coming to an end...and you will all be in your seventh year next year...and at the end of that year are those dreaded exams. Along with those exams, comes your graduation from Hogwarts. We of course will be missing all the seventh years that are graduating this year, and I wish them good luck on the years forward and hope that they all live good lives outside of the school. Today, after you eat your breakfast, you are to stay at your table and wait for your Head of House to dismiss you. You are to walk with your Head of House to the village, and when you are ready to leave, you are to inform him or her. Now I wager that all of you are getting quite hungry about now, so I shall end this. Thank you, students...and have a splendid day in the village." he nodded his head smiling, clapped his hands together, and sat back down as breakfast food overflowed the tables. Harry looked at Ron on his left, who took a piece of bacon from a large silver tray. He hadn't thought about it, but since Hermione wasn't there, what was his friend going to do while he was with Anna-Nicole? The three didn't normally go to Hogsmeade with other people. That's why, when the first visit to the village of the year rolled around, and Hermione said she was going with the Patil twins, it was such a surprise.

"Ron," said Harry finally. Ron looked up from some freshly syruped french toast, and a few pieces of bacon. "What are you planning on doing while I'm...you know...on my date thing?" he asked awkwardly. His red headed friend shrugged.

"I don't know...I guess I'll go around with Seamus or Neville or something." Harry's heart dropped. He didn't feel so good about leaving Ron with Seamus or Neville.

"I won't be long, I promise. I'll just...have a coffee with her and then leave."

"No, Harry...take as long as you want. You don't have to leave for me."

"Yes I do," said Harry, "You're all I have until Hermione comes back." Ron looked up from his breakfast at Harry. He had never really thought of it that way. Hermione had always been there...after all, the three had met each other in their first year...before they even got to Hogwarts.

"I think we took her for granted before," said Ron. Harry nodded.

"Yeah."

"It sort of hit us in the face now that she's gone." Ron went back to eating his breakfast, as did Harry. The circular window on the wall near the ceiling of the Hall whipped open and a thousand owls flocked in through it. Ron's tiny owl, Pigwidgeon swooped down to the Gryffindor Table and held out his leg, where a cream colored envelope was tied. Ron sighed and began to untie it. When he removed his letter from its envelope and unfolded it, he announced to Harry that it was from his mother.

"Dear Ron," he began, "I heard about Hermione! It was in the Daily Prophet the other day and I couldn't help but write you. I think that they should get that child out of the school before she kidnaps anyone else. It's clear that she wanted something from Miss Granger...maybe they had gotten into a row or something. Is the young woman still there? I bet she left the school...she's dangerous, Ron...keep away from her.

"I got a letter from Percy the other day...you can imagine what he wrote. Agh, I won't even tell you, it'll sicken you so. It's terrible what's happened to him, I always thought him to be the model child.

"Bill and Charlie have both come to visit, although they'll be leaving in a few days. They, Fred, George, your father and I send our best. I sent a letter to Ginny as well and I would appreciate if you make sure that she got it. Thank you, dear. I'll be seeing you in a few days. Good luck on exams!  
xoxox Mum" Ron rolled his eyes. "I thought she's stopped reading the Prophet. I bet Malfoy's got one too. No doubt there's something in there that he can get you with. Hey Ginny." Ginny spun around to look at her brother. "Did you get your letter from mum?"

"Yes, did you?"

"Uh huh."

"Allright. Are you going with anyone to Hogsmeade today?"

"No. Are you?"

"Yes, Luna and a few other girls. Would you like to tag along?"

"Er..." Harry smiled.

"Go on, Ron. Tag along. I'm sure it'll be great fun."

"Shut up, Harry. Yeah, I'll come."

"Okay meet me at the fountain in fifteen minutes."

"Will do," said Ron. He looked away from Ginny before she could say anything further. Harry laughed into a bowl of applesauce and Ron grimaced.  
  
After a few minutes, the Hall began clearing and the two headed to the fountain together. Harry had to meet Anna-Nicole there as well, so it was only logical to walk together. When they got there, Ginny was indeed there with Luna Lovegood and a few other giggling Fifth Years.

"'Ey, Harry," said Luna, smiling. Harry politely smiled back and got a bit closer to Ron. Luna had gotten a little bit closer as a friend since last year in the Ministry of Magic, but she still was Loony Lovegood, after all.

"See you, then," said Ron, not looking very happy. He took off with the girls, leaving Harry alone. He sat down on the side of the fountain, and turned around to look into it. He saw himself, as plain as day, which made him think. Voldemort was at Hogwarts. He was meeting Harry at the fountain and he'd be here any minute now. What was he doing this for? To please someone and possibly get himself killed later on? It was for Hermione, though. He'd be doing it for Hermione, for her sake. Where was Hermione, anyway? It pained him to think about it. Maybe he shouldn't go with Anna-Nicole to Hogsmeade...maybe it was too much of a risk to. He was about to get up, when a second face appeared in the water next to his.

"Hey, Harry."

"Um...hi, Anna-Nicole."

"Are you ready?"

"Couldn't be more ready," he replied, his voice shaking a bit.

"Great! Let's go, then."  
  
"You see, I never get to do much with friends...we live sort of away from everybody else. If you saw my house, you would mistake it for a Muggle home. My dad's really into them...I think he seriously wants to actually be one."

"Sounds a bit like Mr. Weasley...except I don't recall ever hearing about him wanting to be a Muggle."

"Mr. Who?"

"Erm...the dad of my friend. You know, the red headed one I hang around with."

"Oh yes, that one. He seems very shaken by the disappearance of his girlfriend," she said smirking, "Seems like he fancied her a bit."

"Er...what does your dad do?" Harry had to change the subject...he really didn't want to talk about Hermione now...especially to the person who kidnapped her. It was unintentional of course, but the way Rita Skeeter described it, it sounded as though Anna-Nicole really was after Hermione. She had said, however, that she was friend's with Anna-Nicole. Maybe Rita should have done more research, actually have come to the school and questioned someone. But then again...she was banned from the school fourth year. That was the year that Hermione had discovered that the writer was an unregistered Animagus...a beetle...and caught her in a jar...  
"He works at the cable company...in the muggle world. You know...for television sets. They're – "

"Yeah I know what they are."

"Okay."

"And your - your mum?" It came out a bit brief and frightful, considering what Ron had said a few days ago about her mum...about her being a Death Eater. Hermione had said that it wasn't true, because Ron had heard it second hand. Or maybe third...or fourth...or fifth..."Now where, Ron, did you hear that?"

"Um...I haven't seen her in a while. What did your dad do?" Oh! Bravo for Ron! The rumor was true!

"He didn't work...(he looked Anna-Nicole straight in the face, as if trying to send a message to Voldemort) he and my mother went into hiding after Lord Voldemort (putting emphasis on Lord Voldemort) made them a target, and killed them," he finished gravely. Anna-Nicole's eyes briefly flashed red and Harry's scar burnt a bit. He winced, and Anna-Nicole went back to being her normal self.

"Oh...I see..." Harry nodded and looked up ahead. The sign for Hogsmeade was coming closer and closer. Let's just get this over with, he thought. He began to walk faster, thus forcing Anna-Nicole to keep within his pace. They walked on, and after a few minutes, a low rumbling sound came from the sky. Harry looked up, and saw grey storm clouds moving in.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and moving her along. They ran together to Madame Puddifoot's tea shop, and by that time, rain was pouring down hard. When they got to the door, Harry hastily twisted the handle and opened the door. They stepped in, absolutely drenched and tired, and found a small table in the corner near a window. Anna-Nicole frantically began fixing her hair.

"You don't have to do that," said Harry. She stopped and looked at him. "I don't care what you look like."

"I do," she said back. There was a long, awkward silence and then she continued messing with her hair, as Harry mentally cursed himself. A waitress came over to the table and watched Anna-Nicole for a while. Harry looked at the waitress and forced a polite smile, lifting his hand off the table just enough for a tiny wave.

"Okay," said Anna-Nicole, finishing with her hair.

"What can I get you two?"

"Er...two coffees," Harry said, "Please."

"Allright, anything else?"

"No, that's fine, thanks." The waitress left the table, leaving with them a hanging silence at the table. Anna-Nicole looked out the window at the falling rain.

"Rotten day, isn't it?" Harry looked at her and nodded. Another great silence.

"Um...Anna-Nicole." She looked at him.

"Remember before dinner two days ago when I spoke to you about...about feeling things?"

"Feeling things? Like...love?" Harry's heart smacked into his ribs as his stomach turned. He swallowed it back, and hoped that his cheeks weren't burning red.

"Erm, no...feeling like you want to - "

"Harry!" Harry looked up from Anna-Nicole, to a smiling Cho Chang.

"Oh, hi, Cho," he said, getting to his feet.

"Merlin, Harry, I haven't seen you much this year," she said smiling.

"Yeah I know," he merely said back. "So...how have you been?"

"Fine, I guess...what with Cedric gone and all...but you know, it's been two years." Here we go again, Harry thought.

"Yeah."

"You?"

"Great. I've been great. Uh, Cho this is my friend, Anna-Nicole. Anna-Nicole, this is Cho Chang...an old...er, friend of mine."

"Hi."

"Hi," said Cho back. Then she looked at Harry and pulled him aside.

"Haven't you read the Daily Prophet?" she asked.

"Um...no, but I heard abut what Rita wrote.

"Isn't she the girl that...?" Harry shook his head.

"Meet me back here in a half an hour, allright?"

"Okay...see you then," she said smiling. Harry was going to tell Cho everything. Hermione wasn't there to help him now, and she was about all he had left.

"See you." Harry waved goodbye and sat back down across from Anna-Nicole. She was looking at Cho skeptically, who was walking out of the tea shop, back into the rain, with two other seventh years.

"What was that all about?" she asked, taking a sip from her mug.

"Nothing," said Harry.

"So...what were you saying?"

"Nothing. Never mind."

"Okay..."  
  
Harry and Anna-Nicole finished their coffees in under a half hour. Harry stood up first and then pulled Anna-Nicole's chair away from the table. She smiled, got up, and turned around, her hands landing unironically on his shoulders.

"Harry...I - "

"- Have to go. So do I." He took her hands off of his shoulders and held them for a few seconds, then let go. "I'll see you back at school, allright?"

"But don't you want to - "

"- Go? Of course not. But I have to. I'm really sorry."

"No...walk around with me," she said, wringing her hands together compulsively.

"Oh...I can't." She put her head down, and this made Harry's heart sink. He shouldn't leave her. "It's raining," he said, desperately, "We're going to get wet if we just walk around. We could go to Honeyduke's. I'll buy you something there." Her face brightened immediately and she lifted her head to look at him.

"Harry, I love you."

"...O-Okay. That's great. Well, let's go then." He started heading towards the door, Anna-Nicole following. They ran to Honeydukes, dodging raindrops as they did, and stepped inside. Draco Malfoy turned his head around to look at Harry and smirked.

"Oy, Potter. Out on a date with your new girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend, Malfoy," Harry responded cooly. Ron, who was with Ginny and her friends, turned around also with a pained look on his face.

"HARRY!" He shouted. He ran into Harry with full force and pulled him into a hug. Harry squeezed his eyes shut and tried desperately to breathe.

"Ron - "

"Save me!"

"Ron, get off." Harry pried his best friend off of his body, and watched people move away from the two. Harry frowned. Great now they think I'm gay, he thought, rolling his eyes. What next after this? Malfoy crossed his arms, the same evil look on his face.

"You can have one or the other, Potter. Take your pick." Crabbe and Goyle howled at this, and Harry, Ron, and Anna-Nicole moved to the other side of the shop.

"Is your sister going to be angry with you if you come with us?"

"Um..." Ron looked at his sister and the rest of her friends, who were now chatting and giggling loudly, "I don't think so; no."

"Okay, then," said Harry. He looked at Anna-Nicole, who picked out a large lollipop in the shape of a rat. Harry got a large swirly lollipop and Ron, since Harry was paying, got a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and two chocolate frogs.  
The three walked out of the store after paying and stopped near a large green bench.

"Anna-Nicole, I have to go. I'm really sorry," said Harry.

"Why? Where are you going?" asked Anna-Nicole sadly.

"I need to meet someone back at Madame Puddifoot's."

"Who, that girl?" asked Anna-Nicole, offended.

"What girl?" asked Ron.

"Oh, some silly chinese girl," retorted Anna-Nicole. Harry frowned.

"Cho is not silly," he said cooly.

"Oh, Cho Chang?" said Ron, amused, "Where did you see Cho?"

"Puddifoot's," muttered Harry.

"Who is she?" asked Anna-Nicole.

"She's Harry's old crush. I wouldn't be surprised if she still is taking a liking to you."

"OH!" at this, Anna-Nicole got to her feet and stormed off having no destination really.

"Nice going, Ron," said Harry when the girl was out of earshot. That didn't take long because of the speed she was moving. "I'm trying to get closer to her, not further away."

"Sorry," said Ron as the two started walking back towards Madame Puddifoot's. He started falling behind a little bit while thinking, then got back up beside Harry.

"I have a question."

"What's that?"

"Do you like Anna-Nicole?" There was a long pause, then Harry looked at Ron.

"Yes...and no. I'm not about to get involved with any girl at the time. I mean, I did kiss her..."

"Would you have longer if it wasn't for Snape?"

"Probably...yeah..."

"I think you like her."

"I do like her. But I'm not going to be her boyfriend. Never in a thousand years."

"Well, that's an awful long time," said Ron, smirking.

"Are you coming to Puddifoot's to meet Cho with me or are you going back with your sister?" asked Harry frustratedly.

"I'm going with you to Puddifoot's," said Ron.

"Good. Then keep quiet."

"I was just wondering," said Ron. When they got to the coffee shop, they spotted Cho Chang at a table in the middle of the room. She waved and the three got situated. Ron and Harry explained to her about everything. Harry's dream about the messenger in the black cloak coming to Harry to tell him to "beware the golden bell", that Voldemort was back at Hogwarts; how Harry had found the bell on his night stand after waking up from his second dream. The two also told about how they thought Voldemort was possessing Anna-Nicole, how Hermione had been kidnapped while in possession of the golden bell, how Snape had explained how he saved Harry's life when he had stopped the two from kissing in the corridor, how the Malfoys were in on killing Harry as well, and last but not least, how the bell worked. When they were finished, Cho was dumbfounded.

"So this is why I haven't seen you this year," she finally said, "You've been spending your free time trying to figure this all out."

"Er...yeah," said Harry. It was because of that, and also because he had been somewhat avoiding Cho. Since last year on their date in the same tea shop, he had been a bit annoyed with her.

"So...what you're saying is that Voldemort's here - at the school. And he's in the body of a sixth year girl from my house that has a crush on you?"

"Exactly."

"Jealous?" asked Ron, devilishly.

"Of a girl who's being possessed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? Eh, no," said Cho.

"No I mean because she likes him. And he likes her," Ron said, a huge smile on his face.

"Oh...well, a little."

"So you still like him?"

"Excuse me," said Harry a bit irritably, "I have a name." Cho looked at Harry and smiled a bit. Ron nudged him and began 'ooh-ing'. "Allright, cut it out,"

"So that's Loony (Ron counted on his fingers), Anna-Nicole, Cho, Hermione - "

"Hermione doesn't like me!" Harry protested impatiently.

"Oh, I can tell, mate. The way she looks at you, how much she always cares about you - "

"She likes you, Ron. And I most certainly am not being a part of that. Anyway - yes, that's correct, Cho." Ron smirked and crossed his arms.

"Any ideas to get him out of the school?" asked Cho.

"Yes, I've thought of one. I'm in the process of getting real close to her now - which Ron is not helping with at all - so that on Monday, I can tell her that she shouldn't "see" me anymore and he'll attack me right there. Which is good because I can just fight him off. If he - " The door of Madame Puddifoot's burst open and a brown haired scraggly girl with tattered and torn robes ran to Harry, Ron, and Cho's table.

"Harry! Ron! I have something to tell you!"

"Hermione!"  
  
A/N: I was asked by a few very literal friends a few questions. I'm sharing them with you so that if you have the same questions, you won't be all confused.  
  
1. How can Voldemort leave his body and go into another's?  
2. Where did Anna-Nicole's soul go when Voldemort went into her?  
3. How can Voldemort suck out one's soul like a dementor?  
  
ANSWER TO 1: He's Voldemort! He can do weird stuff like that. It's called fanfiction.  
ANSWER TO 2: Anna-Nicole's soul is still there...because she can act like herself at times..and then Voldemort can take over when he wants to. I guess her internal body would be a bit crammed with two souls...but....IMAGINATION.  
ANSWER TO 3: See answer to 1, and add: cuz I feel like it.  
  
I wasn't going to have Hermione come back until the end of the summer at the end of Golden Bell 2: , but I put her in GB2 by mistake and figured: oh, what the heck..I'll just have her come back. It would have been to much of a zymiss to write her out. Plus, I luuuurrvveeee Hermione. So that's that. I put the thingy down there so that you don't think that the next chapter is going to be just as boring as this one if you thought it boring. The end is exciting though. Kind of a cliffhanger. lol. I hope you have fun wondering what's happened to Hermione and I hope Kat has fun dreaming about it.  
  
NEXT CHAPTER SUMMARY CUZ I KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING: Hermione explains stuff to Harry and Ron, History of Magic Class the next day, Stuff after HOM class, Quidditch Game


	12. Hermione's Finds

Harry Potter and the Golden Bell  
Chapter 12  
Hermione's Finds  
  
A/N: Just a few things before you start...I decided not to do a History of Magic Class...IN THIS CHAPTER. Cuz the Quidditch Game is Sunday so there's no HOM. But this is Saturday and there's no classes either, it's impossible for this one or the next chapter. So therefore, it's in the chapter after that. I was thinking that Binns was going to do like...an extra class for exams but Quidditch was the day I was gunna do it, so I decided to add a different scene you might enjoy for this chapter. I was gunna make this practice scene be the day of the match..but that made that too crammed, so it's in here. Besides, it would make it long if I put the match and the practice in there...it's better seperated...see A/N at the bottom if that made no sense at all..and rereading it, it really doesn't so just bear with me 'cause I'm too lazy to change it at 12:15 AM. (goes to bed)  
  
Harry's head overflowed with questions. He had so many things to ask Hermione, but couldn't all at once. If he opened his mouth, he was sure that something like: "Where what did happen Voldemort where why what's he doing?" So, he just kept his mouth shut and let her do what she was about to. Ron stood up from his chair, and Hermione glanced at him at his action, but then looked at Cho.

"Can you excuse us for a second?" she asked politely.

"Yeah, sure," said Cho.

"Come on, I'll explain everything back at the castle," said Hermione, grabbing Harry's sleeve and dragging him towards the door of the tea shop. She motioned Ron to follow the two, and he did so. A blonde haired woman with short curly hair and glasses studded with rhinestones that was sitting at a table near the door turned her head to look at the three leaving the shop. She smiled a bit and she stood. She was wearing a red leather V-neck jacket over a red shirt. She had on red leather pants and red high heels. Her earrings, also red, were hoops with tiny sparkling diamonds encircling them, flying around the outside of the hoops in spirals. She had on bright red lipstick, dark black mascara, long red nails, a ruby bracelet and necklace set, and blue eyeshadow. She picked up one of the pink sheafs of parchment laying on her table and a red quill, looking like a phoenix feather. She stepped in front of the door and smiled.

"Well," she said, "I see someone's back." Hermione narrowed her eyes at Rita Skeeter, _Daily Prophet_ reporter.

"When did you get in?"

"Move out of the way, Rita - I'm not answering any of your stupid questions," Hermione said promptly, and forcibly.

"I don't want to ask you questions...just Mr. Potter. Can you please step over to my table, Potter? Just for a second?" Harry eyed her red nails, looking more like claws, holding the phoenix feather quill.

"What kind of questions?" he asked, taking his eyes off of it. Rita had always carried a bright green "_Quick Quotes Quill_," a quill that when the tip was put into the mouth of the writer and balanced on its tip on a piece of parchment paper, twisted the words of the person being interviewed into misleading statements.

"Well, come over here and I'll ask you them," she said, putting her arm around Harry and leading him to her circular table. Hermione fumed. She had so much to say, but couldn't now that "That Skeeter Woman" had interrupted. Harry eyed the quill again as they were seated.

"Now. Harry. I understand that you are going out with the girl being possessed by Lord Voldemort," she said, folding her bony fingers on the table and peering at him over her black glasses.

"I'm not...exactly...going out with her," said Harry, looking back at her face. He glanced at Hermione who was leaning against the wall near the doorway tapping her toe and blowing mad breaths up at her hair. Ron looked indifferent, his expression hadn't changed a bit - it was mostly shock and a hint of worry.

"I see..." she began writing something on the pink parchment.

"May I ask you a question?"

"'Fraid not. I'm the reporter," said Rita airily, still scrawling blood-red cursive sentences on her pink parchment. Harry frowned.

"Thanks, but I'm not answering any of yours if you don't answer any of mine," said Harry coldly and standing from the table. Rita looked up from the parchment at Harry. He pushed in the chair.

"I'll see you in the paper," said Harry, turning on his heel. "Let's go," he said, pushing his friends out of the door.

"I'll be seeing you in the paper as well, Mr. Potter," Rita said to herself, smiling a bit, looking down at the parchment and continued from where she had left off.

---.:.---  
Hermione wouldn't answer any questions on the walk back, for she was afraid that they might be overheard somehow. In fact, they didn't talk at all, and this silence collected more questions for Hermione in Harry's mind. No one talked about Rita Skeeter, nor asked about her on the way back. Once they got there, they ran through the halls and up to Gryffindor Tower where Harry gave the password and the three climbed through the portrait hole into the Common Room. When they were sure that the room was deserted, they took their three couches in front of the hearth.

"First off," said Hermione, beginning to rummage through her ripped robes, "There's this." She extracted from them a copy of _The Daily Prophet_. "Rita Skeeter's back and on you again - as we have clearly seen in the _Prophet_. We should have just left Puddifoot's, Harry - she'll be writing something like this again." She handed the paper to Harry and Ron, and they put their heads together to read it.  
**Harry Potter Dating Lord Voldemort**

"What is this rubbish?" Ron said, cringing, "The way she puts it - "

"It has been recent news that the unstable Harry Potter has given information that Lord Voldemort is indeed, once again, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The person in question of lending her hand to the Dark Lord's plans in order to kill Potter is 15 year old Anna-Nicole Ginnesbrook of Ravenclaw House at Hogwarts. She is said to be possessed by him at this current point in time and is plotting with him dark and evil plans."

"Her vocabulary's decreased," remarked Ron, snorting. Hermione watched Harry read the rest with a panicked look on her face, trying to ignore Ron's comment.

"Hang on, listen - 'She is also said to fancy Potter and is currently _dating _him. They are going to Hogsmeade on their first - ' how old is this?" Harry looked up at Hermione, scowling.

"I don't know, a day or something. I only got hold of that page," said Hermione.

"Where'd you get it?" asked Harry, looking back at Harry and Anna-Nicole's faces smiling and blinking back at him.

"I got it on my way back," she said.

"Way back from where? Where did he take you?" it was Ron this time who spoke.

"I don't even know. It was some dark enclosed area. He took my wand and snapped it in half - I don't know, I don't remember. I just remember being bound in ropes laying on the floor and hearing a fight going on. Someone's wand flew down in front of my hand after the person was being disarmed, and i managed to grab it and split open the ropes. I ran around the cave until I found a big hole in the wall, which I escaped out of. I just ran as fast as I could back to the school - I told Dumbledore I was back and asked where I could find you. He said you were all at Hogsmeade, so I went there. I guessed Puddifoot's, because I knew you were going with Anna-Nicole on a date there next Hogsmeade weekend," she paused, then said, "I have a question for _you_, Harry. At any time yesterday, did your scar hurt?" Harry thought back, then something hit him.

"Hang on...are you sure it was Voldemort that was there in the fight?"

"Yeah I saw - "

"No you didn't," said Harry immediately, "I was with Voldemort - Anna-Nicole's eyes glinted red when I talked to her. It wasn't Voldemort who was keeping watch over you after he captured you. It was someone else."

"Do you still have the wand?" asked Ron.

"Yeah," said Hermione, withdrawing a dark brown wand from her robes. She handed it to Harry, who examined it. He felt around it with his thumb and it landed upon a lifted bit of wood. When he looked at what he had felt, he saw that it was a serpent. "Lucius Malfoy."

"Malfoy?" asked Ron.

"He was there with you, Hermione. Lucius Malfoy and someone else. Two people were watching after you, you say - and only two?"

"Only two."

"Lucius Malfoy is one of those people. I do have an idea how to identify that it is him," said Harry, looking around at his friends.

"What's that?" asked Ron.

"Mr. Ollivander," said Harry, "I remember him telling me in my first year, when I went to go buy my wand, that he remembers every wand that he sold. Everyone buys their wands at Ollivander's, he'll be able to identify it."

"Bravo, Harry!" Hermione said excitedly, but the smile faded from her face, "But we can't send it by owl, it'll be too dangerous. If it gets intercepted, we'll lose the wand and we won't be able to find any of this out. Plus, getting things in and out of Diagon Alley is sketchy. It's so busy - the owl could get hurt or the package can be knocked off."

"What about...a permanent sticking charm?" asked Ron.

"That would be a good idea...except...how would we get it off the owl when it comes back with a response?" asked Hermione. There were a few seconds silence, while the three thought about the solution to this, and then Harry spoke up. "What about a...Semi - Permanent Sticking charm?" he asked slowly, "Is there such thing?"

"Yeah," Ron agreed excitedly, "Like a Temporary one, so that when the recipient tries to pull it off, it detaches itself."

"That would be dicey," said Hermione, sounding unconfident. "I'd have to do it just right and add a few words to the incantation. But there's no reason that we couldn't try," she added quickly, seeing the disappointed looks on the faces of Harry and Ron, "Anyway, I'm going to go clean up. I'll meet the both of you back here when I'm done."

"No, I think I'm going out to the Quidditch Pitch with Ron so he doesn't make us snuff it in the game tomorrow," said Harry, smirking at Ron, who weakly smiled.

"Allright, then I'll meet you there," said Hermione, getting up from her cushy red chair. She went up the stairs to her dorm and Harry went to his.

"Hang on...what about Fudge?" No one heard this inquiry, as the Common Room was once again deserted. Ron shrugged and quickly abandoned his thought and followed Harry up to the boys' dormitories. Once they were all changed and had their broomsticks, they headed outside.

"Any thoughts as to who the other person is?" Ron asked Harry finally when they were halfway to their destination.

"Not really. How many of the Death Eaters like Lucius Malfoy? Psh...he's like a saint to them; none of them would think of arguing with him on anything - he could make life hell for them if he wanted to and if they did choose to pick a fight. Unless the person was an intruder or something. But then again, how would the intruder know where to find the spot where Hermione was being guarded? It doesn't make sense. What about you, did you have anything?"

"One...but...you're going to laugh," said Ron sheepishly.

"No, I won't laugh. But if you're going to say Snape - "

"Not Snape. He's supposedly not a Death Eater anymore."

"Who then?"

"Fudge." There was a moment's silence following this suggestion while Harry considered this. After a few seconds consideration, he nodded.

"Fudge is a possibility. I'll agree with that."

"Let's ask Hermione later. I'm sure she'll have come up with something by the time she meets us."Hermione cleaned herself up, put on a pair of jeans, and a long sleeved shirt, and walked out of the castle into the cool afternoon weather. There was a bit of a breeze that was blowing stray leaves about the grass. She didn't first go to the Pitch to meet Harry and Ron, but instead to Hagrid's hut. When she got to the doorstep, there were sounds of bustling in the small wooden cabin, so she knocked on the front door. Sounds of barking were heard, and Hagrid opened the door, his enormous form filling the doorway.

"Well hello, Hermione! We've been a bi' worried abou' you!" He put an enormous arm around Hermione and gave her a bone-crushing hug. She forced a smile through the pain and looked up into his face.

"So where are yeh headin' ter?" he asked happily, unwrapping his arm from her.

"Harry and Ron are practicing for the Quidditch match tomorrow. I'm going down to the Pitch to meet them/"

"Oh righ' - Gryffindor/Slytherin. That should be fun. Well, I'll be there even if somethin' real importan' happens; you can count on that."

"Do you want to come along with me?"

"Me? Now?"

"Of course you right now."

"Well, I suppose..." Hagrid looked back into his house and at his large black dog, whose barking had ceased seconds before this action, and who was laying contentedly on an overstuffed chair in one of the corners of the room.

"You man the fort, allrigh' boy?" Fang barked to signify a 'yes' answer.

"Good boy," said Hagrid, "I'll be righ' back, don' you worry." He closed the door and the pair of them set off in the direction of the Quidditch Pitch. On the way there, she explained to Hagrid what she had seen, and what had happened after Anna-Nicole had taken her.

"...And needless to say, he succeeded in getting the Golden Bell. He gave it to the man with the long whitish-blonde hair for safekeeping until he returned after killing Harry - which probably won't happen anyway," she added hastily, in reaction to Hagrid's sharp intake of breath.

"The few things we don't know yet are why _Snape_ asked Harry where the bell was if he is a _former_ Death Eater. We're also not sure if the wand i found really belongs to Lucius Malfoy, and we don't know who the other person was that night. Oh, and where Voldemort's body is...he had to have left it somewhere. I bet he's getting impatient now - it ought to be starting to rot about now - unless something's somehow keeping it alive."

"Have yeh told any o' this ter Dumbledore yet?"

"Dumbledore..." started Hermione slowly, "didn't seem to care very much about the matter. He's acting as though it's some game - he wants Harry to figure it out for himself. He might be thinking that it's useless to call on the Ministry for help, since it's gone to dirt. No one there's going to care anyway after reading about how senile he's getting and how Harry's a big complaining git. I'm not even sure if everyone's convinced that You-Know-Who's back. And what can anybody do about it if they cared at all? He's not going to come out upon someone asking him to - unless someone kills Anna-NIcole - he wouldn't want to live in a dead body when he has his own to occupy - if it's still intact and livable."

"Well I guess in that sense, Dumbledore's righ'. Drawin attention ter it all over th' place won' make matters better or do much good." Hermione sighed deeply.

"Harry's got enough to worry about besides this anyway," she said, "This is just another thing to weigh him down. I feel sorry for him in that sense...I don't know, I wish I could help him more...but I can't. This is his baggage - for him to sort out. I can't do anything for him."

"Oh, don' yeh go sayin' tha', Hermione."

"What? What can I help him with now?"

"I'm not talkin' 'bou' now - I'm talkin' 'bou' wha' yeh _have_ helped him with. He couldn' 'a ga'en ter th' Sorc'rer's Stone if it hadn' been fer you." Hermione looked forward. Hagrid was right - in order to get to the Sorcerer's Stone, the three had to complete a small series of tasks, and in one of them, Hermione had solved a riddle as to guess which potion it was describing.

"Hm," said Hagrid triumphantly, also turning his head to look forward.  
6969696  
When they reached the Pitch, Harry and Ron were deep in practice.

"Try to catch it this time, Ron," said Harry calmly. He threw the Quaffle and it went straight through the top goal hoop. Harry sighed.

"Let's do it again - _Accio Quaffle_."

"Hey!" called Hermione, waving. Harry looked down and waved back.

"Hey! Hey, Hagrid."

"Hagrid thinks we should tell Dumbledore," said Hermione.

"About Lucius Malfoy?" asked Harry, "He's not going to care. I told you before, he wants me to figure it out for myself." (Harry threw the Quaffle at Ron again, who lifted his arms to block it, and screamed when it bounced off of them.)

"Well, he might care if it's him."

"What if it was Cornelius Fudge?" Ron piped up, "Would he care then?"

"Cornelius Fudge is not a Death Eater. And you said it yourself, Harry - they were palling around last year in the Ministry after your hearing. Lucius Malfoy and someone else were fighting."

"They're both big dolts," said Ron, "They probably get on each other's nerves once in a while."

"You sure you didn't hear them say each other's names at any point? - _Accio Quaffle_."

"I'm sure, Harry. They wouldn't just reveal their identities in front of me - all of Voldemort's followers know we have ties to Dumbledore. We could get them in big trouble."

"It's still not impossible for two people to get in a fight," said Harry. (He threw Ron the Quaffle again, who knocked it with his arm, making it slam into the metal ring with a _ching_ and drop to the ground.)

"True," agreed Hermione, "But Fudge is the Minister of Magic. He's_ not_ a Death Eater," she repeated.

"You never know," said Ron shrugging. "Why do you keep defending him, anyway? You on his side or something?"

"Of course not," said Hermione, sounded utterly offended. Harry decided to interject a very important subject - listening to Ron and Hermione bicker was the last thing he needed.

"We need to get that wand to Mr. Ollivander," he said, "We're running out of time. Tomorrow is the last Quidditch match of the year and a day after that, I'll be dueling with Voldemort, then there's exams and the year's over. _Accio Quaffle_." Hermione sighed, and Harry threw the call to his friend again, who whacked it hard with his arm and it sailed down towards Hagrid.

"Watch out!" called Harry. Hagrid looked, then put up a massive hand and caught the ball before it cracked him in the head.

"See? Hagrid can catch it. _He_ would be a good keeper," said Harry sounding frustrated.

"Well, I'm not ten feet tall!" Ron exclaimed defensively.

"Weasley cannot save a thing," Hermione sang quietly, "He cannot block a single ring." Ron's head snapped to look at her. "Stop!" Harry immediately caught on and a grin spread across his face.

"That's why all the Slytherins sing: Weasley is our King."

"Harry!" Harry threw the Quaffle at Ron and continued singing with Hermione.

"Weasley was born in a bin. He always lets the Quaffle in." Ron caught it and turned red with anger.

"SHUT UP!" He whipped it back, Harry caught it, and threw it straight to Ron again.

"Weasley will make sure we win. Weasley is our - OW!" Ron had just caught and threw the Quaffle; it hit Harry square in the nose.

"Sorry, Harry!" Ron called, flushing a bit. The two descended and dismounted their brooms, Harry with his arm pressed against his face.

"I'm really sorry - it's just - it - you made me angry, you know I don't like that song!"

"Don't worry about it. You caught it anyway," said Harry dully, looking at his arm, covered in blood.

"Well you were singing it. If Malfoy sings it, it's embarrassing - but you - you're my best friend, you shouldn't be singing it."

"The point was for you to block the hoops, Ron. If you do the same tomorrow, it's a guaranteed victory for us - there's no way that the Slytherins can win," said Harry, his arm back to his nose.

"Come on, Harry - let's get you to Madame Pomfrey. The last thing you need is a broken nose during a Quidditch match," said Hermione, taking Harry's other arm and leading him back in the direction of the castle. Ron closed his eyes and smacked his forehead.

"I am such a git. What is my problem?" he opened his eyes to see Hermione tilting Harry's head back to calm the blood flow. Hagrid let go a small chuckle that made Ron look up at him.

"He's fine, Ron. Come on, yeh wanna come back to me house with me?"

"That's okay...er..." Hagrid looked a little disappointed, and was fighting to not show it.

"I'll see you at dinner, Hagrid."

"Allrigh'...see yeh la'er." Ron dropped his broom and made for the large brown trunk where the balls were kept and began straightening it up as Hagrid took off in another direction off of the field.  
GBGBGBGBGBGBGB  
Harry had gotten himself a broken nose, but was fixed in a heartbeat by Madame Pomfrey and was feeling good as new by dinner. Everyone had eaten it without interfering with each other much at all. Besides Anna-Nicole's constant glances at Harry and Neville's comment about the girl creeping him out, it was quiet and undisturbed. She couldn't have been mad too long if she was doing that. After dinner, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went up to the common room and got settled into their nightclothes after talking in low voices by the fire for about an hour. Harry stared out the window of his dormitory, his hangings undrawn, thinking about everything that had happened that day. He played through parts of it in his head, leaving some moments worth leaving out, until he fell fast asleep.  
  
A/N: Yay! This chapter is out extremely early. Maybe because I'm happy that it's ENDING SOON! Three more chapters - I've decided to make it 15 to break up stuff more and to make chapters shorter. I was going to put the Quidditch match in this chapter, but I decided not to because it's long enough already. Anyway, I hope you wanna know what's comin' up next! Everything is completely planned out. And a few end scenes of the sequel are planned too. YIPPEE! Chapters 1 and 2 of the sequel are also written...but not coming out until...hmmmm....November 12th. Ha. Okay. Bye!


	13. The Quidditch Match

Harry Potter and the Golden Bell  
Chapter 13  
The Quidditch Match  
  
**A/N:** This chappy is kinda short...but that's good, cuz I can get chapters out faster and because people want me to. Plus, there are only a few things left and if i put them all in one chapter, it would be WAAAAY too long. Well, I've already started chapter 14...and I have no idea where chapter 3 of the sequel is going right now. I'll figure something out. All I know is that right now it's just hilarious. AND COOL AND SUSPENSEFUL AND EVERYTHING ELSE A FANFICTON CAN BE. Okay, read.  
  
Hermione got up early the next morning to go up to the Owlery to send the wand and a note to Mr. Ollivander. She couldn't manage a mild sticking spell and got a few owls injured by having to split the skin off of their legs in order to get the black wand off, and so she resorted to wrapping it up tight in some brown paper with a short note curled around the package and tying it securely to an uninjured owl. When she had entered for the second time, a few owls with raw skin on their legs turned away from her. After mailing the wand, she went around to collect her missed homework from all of her teachers. To Hermione, this was a very productive morning.  
  
---::---  
  
Harry and Ron had woken up at 8:00 AM and Hermione, having gotten up around 7:30 AM, wasn't back yet. The two boys left in the dormitory (Seamus, Neville, and Dean were already up and out) went down to the Common Room and talked strategy for the Quidditch game later that afternoon - at 2:00. At 9:30, Hermione clambered through the portrait hole.

"What took you so long?" asked Ron.

"Snape made me do all of the work in front of him," she grumbled.

"That sounds fun," said Ron a bit brightly, "Oh, Hermione...I forgot...I'm sorry."

"About what?" she asked vaguely, unpacking books and papers from her bag.

"Before you...er...left...how I - when we had that fight...thing? I'm sorry about it."

"Don't worry about it," Hermione said wearily, "I accept your apology." Even though Hermione had somewhat waved the matter away quickly, Ron had felt like an 100 pound weight had just been lifted off of his chest. Hermione took from her bag after the books and paper, a quill, and an inkwell.

"Oh, I mailed the wand this morning."

"That's great," said Harry, also feeling more light, and happy to get off the subject of Ron and Hermione's argument.

"I really hope he can identify it," said Ron.

"Yeah," said Harry. "Anyway...as I was saying...yeah, just as long as you perform the same way you did yesterday, Slytherin won't stand a chance. Watch what's going on in the air at all times, concentrate - and," he sighed, "Focus and try as hard as you can to actually catch the Quaffle. If I don't catch the snitch, Malfoy will...so I really have to pay attention as well..." he finished, trailing off.

"I think you should both should start your Transfiguration essays right now," said Hermione airily, interrupting the conversation and scribbling away on her own Transfiguration essay.

"I have already handed in mine!" said Ron indignantly.

"No you didn't," said Hermione, finishing a sentence, then looking up at Harry and Ron.

"And how would you know that?" said Ron.

"When I went to McGonagall for the assignment," said Hermione importantly, pausing at Ron's disgruntled face, and pressing on, "Her grade book was opened on her desk to our class. There simply weren't any grades next to either," She pointed the feather of her quill at the both of them, "of your names." Ron now looked offended, and couldn't seem to think of anything to say. Harry looked slightly confused.

"I started it," he said quite blankly, "I'll go get it upstairs." He went straight up to his dormitory without another word, grabbed his unfinished essay, and descended back into the Common Room again. Ron frowned and merely sat back in his chair gazing at the ceiling. After a few minutes, Hermione packed her things back into her school bag and stood up.

"Where are you off to?" asked Ron.

"Library," said Hermione briskly.

"Figures..." Ron grumbled. Harry looked up from his essay to Hermione.

"See you at lunch." She left through the portrait hole and Ron stood up when she did.

"Back down to the Pitch then?"

"You know it," said Harry. He hastily finished his essay in a manner that he was sure Hermione wouldn't accept. Then he and Ron got their brooks and spent the rest of the morning practicing, right up until lunch. Hermione did indeed show up for it ("Did you finish that essay, Ron?" she had asked. "Oh, sure. The whole thing. It's all done." Harry had snorted into his glass of cranberry juice when hearing this and concealed it with a cough so as to not make himself obvious) and didn't seem to be in much of a bad moon, which was lucky. Harry laid on his bed after it, his hangings drawn so he was in complete darkness for a long time thinking. Finally, after 1:30 PM, Ron whipped open the hangings, fully dressed in his Quidditch robes. Harry had to squint at him because of the new light pouring in at him from the window.

"Come on, we need to go! Katie wants us to have a meeting before the game! You need to get changed!" Harry blinked the sun out of his eyes and got off of his bed. He then changed, grabbed his broomstick and walked down to the Quidditch Pitch with Ron. When they reached the team tent, they mulled around until Katie Bell, the new team captain, and a fairly good one at that, got everything together. Colin and Dennis Creevey, now Beaters, sprinted over to Harry and Ron and Colin took a picture, blinding Harry and leaving him with little blue squares in front of his eyes.

"Hi, Harry!"

"Hi, Colin," said Harry politely, blinking a few times.

"Er...you do know you can't take that thing out on the Pitch with you, don't you?" asked Ron dumbly.

"Yeah, of course I do!" said Colin, "I wouldn't want this to get ruined at all! Especially because of my position." Neville, a new Chaser, also came to greet Harry, followed by Ginny who was now, also a Chaser. Harry, reading Neville's worried look, smiled a bit.

"You're going to do fine. We won last game, remember?" Harry reassured him. Neville sighed.

"I suppose," he said. There was a sound of a pencil rapping a chalkboard and a few people turned.

"Come on," said Ron. He sat on a bench, and Harry took his place next to Ron. Katie talked and talked for what seemed like hours, but what was really only about a half an hour. When she had finished talking so fast and covering the whole chalkboard with notes and pictures that it was hard to distinguish the plan at all, she looked at the team and smiled a bit.

"Any questions?" she asked curtly. Dennis Creevey sniffed from the corner and Ginny gave a light cough.

"Good. Let's head onto the Pitch, then," said Katie, "Come on." The team stood and began walking in a line towards the corridor leading to the Quidditch Pitch. All that separated them now from the game was a single curtain.

"Any minute now," said Katie Bell determined not to sound nervous. They waited in their line in complete silence until the trumpets sounded and the curtains were slowly opened. Katie mounted her broom and kicked off the ground followed by Harry, who was followed by Ginny, then Neville, and Colin and Dennis brought up the rear. They all did their two laps around the Pitch as Lee Jordan's voice boomed above the crowd, Slytherins cheering for the Slytherin team that had just been released and singing predictably "Weasley Is Our King", "GOOD AFTERNOON, HOGWARTS AND WELCOME TO THE LAST GAME OF THE QUIDDITCH SEASON! GRYFFINDOR VERSUS SLYTHERIN!" When Harry neared the Gryffindor section of the stands, he was sure he heard the faint roar of a lion. When he got there, his assumption was confirmed when he saw Luna Lovegood's large Gryffindor lion hat balanced on her blonde head; it looked like a mascot from the air. He passed Ravenclaw's stands, quickly picking out Anna-Nicole, and sent her a wink. He looked back when he could, and saw her smile and turn pink. She obviously had forgotten the day before at Hogsmeade...  
Malfoy was at the back of Harry, determined to get ahead of him. When he did pass him, he rammed him hard in the shoulder. Harry put his hand on his arm, frowned, and gained speed. They became neck in neck and Harry managed to yell to him through the crowd's sound and the loud wind rushing past their ears.

"ARE YOU HAPPY MALFOY?"

"WHY WOULD I BE HAPPY?"

"VOLDEMORT GOT THE GOLDEN BELL - ISNT THAT WHAT YOU WANTED? HE COULDN'T LOCATE OR KILL ANYONE IF HE HADN'T HAVE!"

"OH, VERY HAPPY. AND I'M SURE THAT HE'LL BE KILLING YOU VERY SOON, WHAT WITH KNOWING YOUR PLAN! GOTTA GO! CAN'T WAIT TO WATCH YOU LOSE, POTTER!" Harry looked shocked as Malfoy began passing him. How could Voldemort know his plan? He was in the Common Room when he had told Ron. He got his chest closer to his broom and got back up to Malfoy's neck. He passed him successfully and got in position in the circle above the ball box. Harry was sure that Malfoy wasn't going to go easy on him at all this game - especially when he gave him a meaningful sneer and his scar prickled. He wasn't sure why that would happen when Malfoy did something. It had to be something else; but it was too late: Madame Hooch had already stepped onto to field under the circle of players and next to the ball box. He had her hands on her hips and looked stern, as usual - her yellow eyes gleaming up at them in the sunlight. She kicked open the box, let the Snitch out, unlocked the Bludgers and picked up the large red ball that was the Quaffle. She looked up at the two teams where the Chasers were inching closer together in hope of their team getting the ball first.

"Ready?" she shouted.

"Madame Hooch has stepped onto the field and has released all but the Quaffle. As soon as she throws the Quaffle up, the game begins!" Madame Hooch blew her whistle loudly and threw it up in the air.

"And there it goes!" Lee shouted. Six Chasers slammed into one another trying to get the big, dented, red ball, the rest of the two teams swerving to get out of the way, and some pausing to recover, only to see that Katie Bell had snatched the ball before it fell below her feet. Harry moved just in time to let a Slytherin Chaser pass so that his head didn't get knocked off. He looked over at Ron, who was hovering dumbly in front of the top goal hoop watching the game and trying to tune out "Weasley Is Our King." Harry sighed, and just as he did, heard a loud whooshing sound - getting louder and louder. He turned his head slowly and saw a spinning, black Bludger flying straight for the middle of his face. His scar seared with pain and he ducked so that the Bludger sailed over the back of his neck, making the hair on the back of it stand on end. Harry put his head up and watched the black ball make a U-Turn and head straight for Colin Creevey, who froze completely in the air.

"GET IT, COLIN!" yelled Harry, since his brother, Dennis was on the other side of the Pitch and couldn't help him, "PRETEND IT'S MALFOY'S HEAD!" He shouted without thinking, nor noticing that Draco was only a few feet from him. His head spun around to look at his rival. Harry only glanced at him, and looked back at Colin. He swung up his club and hit the Bludger with all of his strength. Malfoy took his maddening eyes from Colin, and looked back at Harry, and began flying closer to him.

"I suppose you think that's funny, Potter? Like to see my face bashed in?"

"Yes, I suppose I would."

"How about I bash _your _face in?" he snarled menacingly.

"No that's allright, tha - " Malfoy took a swipe at Harry and cracked him in the jaw. When his head turned from the blow, he saw McGonagall stand up from her bench, fists clenched, apparently the only one who had seen this.

"YOU WANT ME, POTTER? COME AND GET ME!" Malfoy streaked away across the field, leaving Harry with his hand under his chin. He watched Malfoy fly off and bit his lip. He followed the white-blonde boy past Neville catching the Quaffle, but being almost flattened to his broom by a pair of Slytherin Chasers, thus throwing the ball frantically to Ginny, and covering his head. Harry was gaining on Malfoy and collected all the hate he had for him to allow him to go faster. He wanted so much to knock the boy off of his broom, to see his head crash to the ground in pieces. He gained speed and could now feel the wind rushing past Malfoy and could almost touch the back end of his broom. Malfoy looked back and smirked a bit, then also gained speed.

"It looks as if Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy have just spotted the Snitch! Oh wait, hang on...nah, they're just trying snog each other passionately in the air." A few members of the audience chuckled, and Dumbledore let a small smile slip onto his face, but neither Harry nor Malfoy noticed. Again, Harry's scar seared with pain, but this time, it lasted longer, and left him with a dull ache. He found himself slowing a bit as he looked over at the Ravenclaw stands at Anna-Nicole who was sitting and smiling. When she saw that he had spotted her, she waved and blew a kiss. Harry smiled and blew one back, just so that he would have a reason to "dump" her the next day. He looked back at Malfoy, who was still speeding towards thin air, regardless of the fact that Harry had stopped. He reached out his arm and began groping the air. Realization hit Harry and he began whizzing towards Malfoy.

"Ah, there we are!" Cried Lee, "Draco Malfoy has spotted the Golden Snitch! And from the look of it, Harry Potter as well!" Harry saw the glint of the ball flying away from Malfoy, going in all directions. Malfoy put his hand back on his broom, adjusted himself, and began reaching for it again. Harry whammed right into him and reached his hand out too. Malfoy flew back up, and whammed Harry right back from underneath, hitting his stomach. Harry flew off course a bit and did a turn. His scar again burned and he found himself hovering there clutching his forehead. The pain increased and his vision was blurred. He blacked out just as he heard Lee utter the words: "Draco Malfoy has caught the Golden Snitch!"  
  
A/N: It took me so long to form the new Quidditch Team because I didn't know who had graduated or not grrrrg. But, with the help of the infamous Harry Potter Lexicon, I did it! I wasn't sure about Lee Jordan though...but it's fanfiction. He's staying at least for this one. I know this game was a little short, but they're not so easy to write. I'm trying to picture it all in my head so that I can sort of see what's happening. I'm sorry Slytherin won, but you know, that's life. lol.


	14. Life or Death

Harry Potter and the Golden Bell  
Chapter 14  
Life or Death  
  
**A/N**: Here it is...the chapter you've all been waiting for. I have been known to kill people in stories, as you know if you've been reading Harry Potter and the 30 Tasks, one of my other stories (and if you haven't been reading it, I really recommend it - it's totally awesome so far) I'm planning to kill off one of the three: Harry, Ron, or Hermione. Keep your mind open as to who you may think it will be because I'll steer you a few different ways for my pleasure throughout the rest of that fic. (I'm not killing anyone in Golden Bell, don't worry...cuz there's still a sequel)  
  
Nothing is mine but the plot, Anna-Nicole, the Pointed Pinkels and the soul extraction spell, Soluiero Exancracito. Yes, I am clever in thinking that up.  
  
"Harry...Harry...Harry..." Harry felt numb in every inch of his body. Every joint felt frozen in place and inflamed. When he heard Hermione's voice calling him to consciousness, he didn't want to open his eyes one bit. Maybe if he pretended to be asleep again...  
There was a stumbling sound, followed by a body hitting the floor. Harry opened his eyes at this out of surprise, and saw Ron laying on the floor in a small heap, moaning. Hermione seemed not to have noticed, because she was smiling down at Harry, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Hi," she said. Harry smiled weakly. "Hi...what happened to me?"  
"You just froze there in the air holding your forehead...and er...a Bludger went toward you followed by Colin and Dennis...they kind of made contact with you." She nodded her head toward two beds, each with a large, breathing lump in them. "You were half unconscious, so you didn't exactly know what was happening around you. Slytherin won," she said, finishing, as if that was something worth adding.

"Yeah, I heard that before I blacked out," said Harry glumly, "And my broom?"

"Your broom's allright. It's back in its closet," said Hermione.

"Good," said Harry. He wouldn't care if he was bloodied up from head to toe, he just wanted to make sure that his Firebolt hadn't been crushed to pieces so that when he was healed, he could ride it again. Ron flung his hand on the bed next to Harry's legs and got himself up.

"Hey, mate," he said as if he was wasn't just laying on the Infirmary floor, "Took quite a fall there."

"Me or you?" Harry said smirking. Ron smiled a bit and pulled up a chair to the side of the bed.

"It's a good thing you were only a good ten feet from the ground," Ron added positively.

"True," Harry said, "It was Anna-Nicole, right?" he groaned, pushing himself up into sitting position and laying back against the brass headboard.

"Probably...I'd wager that," said Hermione. "It's allright, though. You'll be getting him out of here tomorrow. At least that's what you said." Harry's heart sank and he felt a strong surge of hatred towards Hermione. He'd be back here the next day as well, in this very bed, all because _he_ was the one who had to fight off Voldemort. All because it was _he_ who was the Boy Who Lived. Why did it have to be him? The feeling vanished a bit and he tried not to show the aftermath of it.

"Er...yeah," he responded vaguely. Just then, the door burst open. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all looked at who had come in, running like a maniac, and they saw that it was Anna-Nicole. Harry's scar gave a painful buzz and he quickly sank back down into his covers and closed his eyes.

"Harry! Harry, I - "

"Shh!" Hermione hissed, catching onto what Harry was getting at, "He's asleep!"

"But he was just sitting up a few seconds ago, I saw him," she said, looking at the "sleeping" Harry. She was holding a small bouquet of purple colored daffodils in her right hand.

"You must be seeing things," said Ron, "He's been out for hours."

"Oh...okay...well, tell him these are from Anna-Nicole. When he wakes up of course." She handed Hermione the flowers and smiled. She hesitated, and bent over and kissed Harry right on his scar. Right then he experienced a pain so powerful. A pain that he had only felt once before: when Voldemort had touched him in his fourth year...in the graveyard the night Cedric died. It felt as though his head was about to split right down the middle of his scar. He tried as hard as he could to keep himself quiet, and the pain inside, and when she stood back up, the ancient spot on his forehead still burnt like fire.

"Bye," she said cheerfully, turning and going down the long aisle back out of the Infirmary door. As soon as the oak door closed, Harry clapped his hands to his forehead and gritted his teeth hard.

"Harry?" Hermione said quietly.

"She _kissed_ my _scar_. Ugh, it hurts!"

"Er...she brought you flowers," said Hermione.

"Throw them out the window," Harry said, opening his eyes. Hermione looked shocked.

"What?"

"Remember how Broderick Bode died in St. Mungo's? He was attacked by a Devil's Snare disguised as a Flitterbloom! This could be just the same - throw them out the window! Now!" Hermione stood from the bed, opened the window a bit and threw the entire bouquet out. She watched it fall all the way to the green ground in a shower of beautiful deep purple petals. Still feeling awful and sick from throwing a Get Well present out of the window, even one being from someone who was being possessed by Voldemort and wanting to kill her best friend, she tried to ignore it, sighed and closed the window. The pain in Harry's head subsided a bit and he was left with a headache; he took his hands away and sat up again.

"So...I've got a question," said Ron, as Hermione took her place back on the bedside again.

"What's that?" Harry asked, reaching for his glass of water.

"Why d'you reckon Snape wanted to know where the bell was?"

"Well, it'll have to be Lucius Malfoy, won't it?" said Hermione.

"But that would mean Snape wants to kill me as well," said Harry, "And even if Snape was a Death Eater and knows all about how the bell works...and loathes me - well - being a former Death Eater, he'd be against Voldemort, therefore wishing to keep it so Voldemort couldn't locate and kill anyone anymore."

"Maybe that's exactly why he wanted it," said Hermione, "But he can't get it now," she added sadly, "It's because of me it's gone."

"Hermione, it's no more your fault than it is Luna Lovegood's fault," Ron said.

"Oh, come off it. I was the one that was foolish enough to venture outside of the Common Room late at night with the bell. I should have known that somebody who wanted it might be there on the lookout for it, or the person who had it."

"It doesn't matter who's fault it is now," said Harry sounding exhausted, "It's over. As is the year. Soon, we can all go home and none of us won't have to deal with any of this anymore."

"Right. Well...we're going to go get a few study sheets done...and Ronald has to finish his Transfiguration essay," added Hermione forcefully.

"Come on, Hermione, can't we just - "

"No! It's the last assignment of the year and you're doing it if it's the last thing you do!"

"Ron. Hermione. If you're going to argue, do it out there." Harry pointed to the door and both Ron and Hermione looked at each other and stood.

"Bye, Harry," said Hermione.

"See you, mate," said Ron, and the two of them left through the door. Harry laid back down and turned his head so he could see out the window. He was feeling very fatigued, and began closing his eyes for brief seconds, starting to drop off, but opening them again, not wanting to. Finally, sleep blanketed him and he drifted off...  
He was standing again in that vivid white room...just standing there looking straight at the source of the light, a white ball of fire on a platform in the middle of the area. A shape was coming into view beyond the fire...

"Sirius," Harry breathed. His heart began pounding hard in his chest and he stepped closer to the platform as his godfather was beginning to do...he reached out his hand slowly and proceeded towards the fire so that his hand went through it. Sirius could now be seen beyond the flames and was smiling. He too reached out his hand and held onto Harry's.

"Sirius," Harry said again, a bit louder.

"Welcome, Harry."

"Welcome to where?"

"Welcome to beyond the veil."

"This is what it looks like behind here?" Harry asked incredulously, still aware that he was still holding onto Sirius, but even though his hand was getting wet and slippery from sweat, he didn't dare let go from fear of losing the connection and possibly waking up. Was he really even talking to Sirius?

"Well, no. Not to the living eye. But if you are among the deceased, then yes. This is what it looks like." Harry stayed quiet for a moment...this didn't sound like Sirius. It wasn't like him to use words like these in the same sentence or way.

"But...what about those people whispering? Were they dead people?" asked Harry, his voice still low.

"No, they are alive. Monitoring who comes in and out of the veil. If you are alive, there is a chance you may be killed, or sent back. But if dead, you are welcome. It's not easy to get here and live in peace."

"But, what is it for? Why are you here? How come - ?"

"You'll come to know in time, Harry. But now, I have to go."

"Wait! Sirius, don't go!" Harry cried, though he was still there holding Harry, but he soon let go, gave a last smile and a wink despite Harry's angry protests, and turned to walk away.

"Sirius! Wait!" Harry moved sideways to avoid running into the platform and began running past it -

_WHAM!_

His face made contact with thin air and he clapped his hands to his face, his nose bleeding...bleeding everywhere...like a waterfall from his nose...it was soaking his white robes in dark, red liquid. He was beginning to shrink...to shrivel..

"No, NO! NO! GET ME OUT! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" Harry thrust his eyes open and sat up. He was breathing heavily, laying in a tangle of sheets on the floor...drops of blood dripping from his nose onto the white sheets he was wrapped in. He had fallen off the Infirmary bed and had landed on the floor face first. He frowned and anger began to rise up inside him. Why did he try to get across the barrier if there was one? Why couldn't he have let Sirius go? Or brought up something else to make him stay longer? He knew that if he had this dream again, he'd change it for the better and maybe, if this wasn't an everyday dream, find out more about the black veil in which Sirius Black had fallen into just one year ago.  
---::---

Morning light poured through the massive windows of the Infirmary where Harry lay, having fallen asleep again on the floor. He awoke to a high pitched shriek, whom which he thought had come from a woman, but when he blinked his eyes open, he saw Colin, still in his pajamas, looking the other way calling to Madam Pomfrey shakily: "MADAM POMFREY! HE'S DEAD! HARRY'S DEAD!" Harry frowned.

"I'm not dead, Colin," he said, his voice skipping on the word: "dead" from his throat still adjusting to talking. There was dried blood on the top of his lip under his nose, and a brown stain on the sheet. Colin's head whipped around to look at him and he began beaming.

"You're not dead!"

"That's what I said," said Harry with unintended irritability. He untangled himself finally, as Madam Pomfrey scuttled into the room and put her hands on her hips.

"He's not dead," she said a bit more irritably than Harry had sounded, as of confirming it to either Colin or Harry. "What happened to you, Potter?"

"Nothing...my nose probably got dry and bled...it's nothing." He stood up and strode to the bathroom in the front of the room. He went in, went to a sink, and began washing his face and nose with a washcloth, then went back to his bed and began precariously making it.

"You can go get dressed and get down to breakfast, Potter. I'll take care of that. You too, Creevey. And wake up your brother, he's out like an old burnt muffin." She bustled around the bed that Harry had halted in making, and he bid his farewells to Colin, and headed out of the Infirmary. He hoped that he wasn't turning any heads, having wearing his pajamas while walking around the school in broad daylight. The halls were pretty empty anyway. It was very early in the morning and since it had been the weekend, everyone had to say goodbye to sleeping in and drag themselves out of bed for breakfast and their morning classes. Harry kept his own head down until he got to the Fat Lady, told her the password, and crawled into the Common Room. Ron was sitting in front of the fire, dressed in everything but his robes, shirt untucked and tie undone, reading his Herbology textbook. His head turned to see who had come into the room when he heard the creak of the portrait opening.

"Hey, Harry!"

"Hey," said Harry, "Hermione got you reading?"

"Yeah, how could you tell?" Ron grumbled, looking at a picture of a particularly ugly plant looking like a cabbage with spikes.

"I didn't think you'd read about Pointed Pinkels on your own."

"Is that what that is?" said Ron, raising his eyebrows, "I wasn't really taking any of it in." He shrugged and continued ominously gazing at the black words printed in the book, propping his head in his hand. Harry went up to his dormitory and dressed. Moments later, he was sitting in the Great Hall eating his breakfast, occasionally glancing at Anna-Nicole over at the Ravenclaw table, and when catching her eye, (which was often - Harry's seemed to be the only direction she was looking in) smiling. Hermione hadn't eaten, she was studying for her Muggle Studies exam. When Harry noticed, it reminded him that his first two exams were Wednesday, and this reminded him that the year was almost over, and that in turn reminded him that today was the day he'd be dueling Voldemort.  
---::---  
Potions and History of Magic were both in the morning that day, followed by double Charms with the Ravenclaws. This was his chance to really get onto Anna-Nicole and to get her attention. When Professor Flitwick called on Parvati and Padma Patil to hand out example exam question sheets, Harry looked over at his target and raised and dropped his eyebrows, smiling slightly. Ron, seeing this, also smiled a bit. Anna-Nicole blushed and buried herself in her paper.

"No talking please," Professor Flitwick squeaked. Harry picked up his quill, dipped it in his ink bottle, and looked at the first question, then began it. He looked up again, finding Anna-Nicole looking right back at him, then casually going back to her work when she saw he had noticed. He took a piece of parchment out of his bag and wrote a short note to her. He used his wand to fold it into a mouse, and it scurried off of the desk and over to Anna-Nicole. It crawled up onto her shoulder and whispered: "Hi, Anna-Nicole." She giggled and the mouse puffed and exploded soundlessly. She wrote a note back the same way, and it said: "Hi, Harry." This went on for a long time, until Harry's scar gave a rather uncomfortable throb and he decided to put his entire focus on the review sheets in front of him. After both periods, Harry had gotten through all three sheets, with only six unanswered questions. (most were short essays) When the bell rang, he gathered his things together, and slung his bag over his shoulder. Anna-Nicole sauntered over to Harry and smiled.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," he said back.

"Do you want to - ?"

"Er...no," said Harry vaguely, not having the faintest idea of what she was about to say, "Can you meet me at the edge of the Forbidden Forest around...er...five?"

"Before dinner?"

"Yeah," said Harry, and his scar gave another painful twinge. He looked at Ron and Hermione, who were lingering in the doorway watching and waiting.

"I don't see why not," she said.

"Great. See you then."

"See you." She lunged forward, but Harry ducked and hurried out of the door before she could open her eyes to see that he had gone. When he, Ron, and Hermione had arrived back at the Common Room, there was an owl sitting on the back of the chair that Neville was sitting on.

"The note says it's for you," said Neville, "This thing's been pecking me. I told it that I didn't know where you were, but it wouldn't listen."

"Yeah, it's for me," said Harry, going and untying Mr. Ollivander's response from the grey owl. It hooted and flew out an open window again.

"I wonder why he didn't have it come during dinner though," said Hermione, moving next to Harry to read the message as well. Neville wasn't really listening or paying any attention to the three, as he was absorbed in his own Herbology textbook reading and gazing quite fondly at the Pointed Pinkels depicted on the page he was opened to.

"Dear Harry," said Harry, setting the wand, wrapped in new brown paper, on the chair arm beside him. "Indeed this wand belongs to Lucius Malfoy. I won't ask what you're up to, no doubt something dangerous, but nevertheless, I'm always here to help you and glad to do it. It was smart of you to choose me as your recipient. I'll wager that it was Miss Granger's idea, was it not? Anyway, thank you for writing. I hope you have a fine summer and good luck all of you on exams. Best wishes, Mr. Ollivander."

"We were right, then," said Ron. "I mean...you were right, Hermione. Malfoy's wandless. Harry, keep this in your trunk and away from Draco."

"On the contrary, Ron, if Lucius is wandless, we have to return it to him," said Hermione.

"For what reason?"

"He needs his wand. We can't just take it from him."

"But he's Lucius Malfoy, he - "

"- Needs his wand back," Hermione finished with finality, and turned to Harry. "I want you to leave it somewhere where Draco Malfoy will find it. He'll see that it's his dad's and he'll return it to him for us, without knowing at all who took it."

"But that's the evidence!" exclaimed Ron, "If he has the evidence, we won't be able to prove anything!"

"I'm sure there'll be plenty of evidence," said Hermione, "We're getting close."  
---::---  
At ten to 5 PM, Harry was in his dormitory getting ready. He had on his white buttondown shirt, Gryffindor tie, belted up pants, and his black robes. He made sure his wand was in a location he could reach quickly, and he headed down to the Forbidden Forest. Anna-Nicole was already there, leaning against a tree. When she saw Harry, she brightened and waved. He waved back and continued walking towards the towering trees. Once the two got there, she smiled and reached for his hand, and they both walked into the forest together. Harry did not attempt to make any conversation...he was too focused on the thing he needed to do. He felt his wand jab at his hip lightly when he walked and it made him think that he was about to use that wand...use it to defend himself.  
---::---

It got darker and darker as the forest became thicker. The canopies were shielding any sunlight wishing to creep through to light the ground below. They walked on still in silence, Harry checking around every corner, in any nook or cranny of the area for any signs of movement, but there were none. When the two came to a small clearing of trees where only the canopies of trees circling the area covered the sky and a large boulder lay, Harry halted. His scar was beginning to burn...it was again trying to explode off of his forehead. He let go of her hand as it was getting immensely sweaty, and tried hard to blink back the pain. He felt a rush of excitement pulse through him...like something good was about to happen. But he wasn't happy...he was truthfully scared. But for that moment, he did not feel that way. He felt happy. He assumed it wasn't his feeling. He was feeling the emotion of another...the emotion of Voldemort's. He was close...so close. So close to gaining what he wanted...to dispose of Harry Potter.

"What?" came a voice from Harry's side. He looked to where it came from and remembered his purpose for being there. He also noticed that the muscles in his face were stretched into a grin, and when he did notice, he wiped it off of his face.

"Er...Anna-Nicole...I - " Harry stopped dead in mid-sentence. The eyes of the girl before him had turned a bright blinding red and her face stretched into a grin, her cheeks turning a ghostly white. Harry backed away, and his hand found his wand. Voldemort's red eyes looked up at the sky briefly, and then he closed them. A wisp of vapor began seeping out of Anna-Nicole's head and when it was all the way out, she fell motionless to the ground. The vapor flew behind the rock and emerged again seconds later, not as a white vapor, but as a pale-faced man, his hood over his head, and his red eyes glimmering from underneath it.

"Well, well...we meet again," hissed Voldemort, "Wand out, i see? Fallen right into my trap? Just like you, boy. You're not the only one thinking. I've known your plan ever since the time it leaked out from between your lips."

"How?" asked Harry indignantly, showing no sign of fear, his wand now out steady in front of him. Another sickened grin became visible under Voldemort's hood.

"Oh, it shouldn't matter to you. All that should matter to you right now is you," he answered, "and me. As for the girl...I feel she's served her purpose quite nicely. Remember to thank her for me when she comes back to consciousness." He raised his own wand with a jerk, and Anna-Nicole's lifeless body was flung at the enormous rock. Harry felt anger as strong as he had felt it the day of Sirius's death and he felt that he ought to kill Voldemort...to waste his body away so he would be weak again...as he had when his parents were killed. He raised his wand and pointed it at Voldemort.

"_Expelliarmus_!" he shouted. The wand that was so like Harry's slipped from between three pale fingers of the snake-like man in front of him and landed near the boulder. This was Harry's chance to run. But he didn't. It would show Voldemort that Harry was still a frightened child. He kept his wand raised and shot another curse at Voldemort, backing up a bit more. "_Impedimenta_!" Voldemort flew off his feet, but caught a tree branch and let himself fall to the ground again. He swiped the ground covering and uncovered his wand.

"_Avada Kedavra_!" he bellowed. Harry jumped to the side and the green spark hit a tree...it turned an even darker brown and began slowly shriveling creakily. He got to his feet and began running again. Voldemort still followed, his body hovering above the ground as he went. He continued as fast as he could. As fast as his legs would let him -

"ARGH!" He tripped over a tree root and was launched forward. Harry crawled to his feet and tried taking off again, but Voldemort had been quicker. He grabbed Harry by the back of his robes and held him up.

"No one to save you now. Dumbledore doesn't care anymore. He wanted you to deal with me on your own, he won't come to your aid." Harry began kicking and thrashing wildly.

"LET GO!" he shouted. Voldemort lowered his hood. His once shockingly pale face was now etched with scars and craters of brown, rotten flesh. There was fresh blood leaking from a spot near his temple, but it didn't seem to phase him; he kept his tight grip on Harry and his smile persisted. Then he threw Harry five feet where he landed on the ground, on a series of thick tangled roots and stray clumps of brambles. The points were thrust into his flesh, and stayed there. Harry closed his eyes and kept himself where he was, fearing that if he did, he would only experience more pain.

"There. See? Not that bad." Harry opened his eyes and sent a menacing glare in Voldemort's direction.

"Poisonous, aren't that species? Won't take long. I could leave you there, but I'll make it painful, so you remember in your afterlife. _Crucio_!" Harry's knees locked, his legs froze in place, and his head felt as though it would burst. Every inch of his body was immovable, feeling like it would explode right there. But it stopped and he was left aching from head to toe. He opened his eyes and looked down at his arm where some of the prickers were. His black robes were bloodstained, parts of them a deep purple from the poison.

"_Imperio_! INTO THE TREE, BOY!" Harry wanted to fight it, but he couldn't. Immediately he felt his body be jerked upward out of the prickers. They ripped his skin and sent more blood out onto his robes, but he had no time to mop it up - he was launched into a large tree, his head turned sideways. His mind went blank and thoughtless. He collapsed to the ground and he didn't dare open his eyes. He was breathing extremely raggedly and the side of his head where he had hit the tree was feeling cold and wet - the wind running over the new wound.

"This is what it's like when you've waited fourteen years to come to full power. What it's like when you are defeated by a mere child and the only way you can regain power, is to create your own body!" Harry looked up at Voldemort and uttered a few words.

"No one needs to die," he said. "Just because you feel bad for yourself, no one needs to - "

"_CRUCIO_!" Harry screamed. His body felt bound again and pounding hard. It ceased again and Harry's scar seared painfully, and continued burning.

"Because of you, I've been barely surviving. Having to rely on a band of followers to carry out my needs because if I leave hiding, I cannot get my wish - I cannot destroy you! You smashed my prophecy, you ruined my plans! And you don't think you deserve it?" Harry gathered himself, his whole body frozen and aching, his head feeling fit to burst as his scar still tried to split off of his forehead. "No, I don't."

"_Crucio_!"

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" came a voice from behind Harry. He couldn't move his head to see who was there: the curse was still acting on him, but Voldemort had seen her, and that was all that mattered.

"Have you come to join us?" he asked, sounding mildly amused, but still in that high pitched hissing tone. Hermione walked fearlessly to the spot Harry lay, her wand clenched tightly in her fist.

"Hermione, go back to the castle," Harry said weakly when the Cruciatus Curse had stopped acting on him, though he was still exhausted and hurting from it.

"No," she said.

"I'd take his advice, Miss Granger. _Imperio!_" Hermione squeezed her eyes shut trying to ignore the pain.

"Join Mr. Potter on the ground," he hissed, but Hermione's feet stayed as if they were weeds fighting not to be uprooted. She opened her eyes after a few moments, seeming completely unaffected by the curse.

"Okay, we can block that one, can we? _Avada Kedavra_!" Hermione moved her head and it grazed a few strands of her hair, turning them black.

"_Expelliarmus_!" she shouted. Then she grabbed Harry around the middle and flung him with all of her strength over her shoulder, then began running. Voldemort picked up his wand yet again and chased after them.

"What are you planning on doing?" Harry asked, his body still feeling limp and hurting.

"The cave," she said, and continued through the woods. They reached the large stone cave that Malfoy had hid in. "Oh no..."

"What, "oh no"?" asked Harry, beginning to panic more. He lifted his head to see through one dirty and one cracked lens, a Voldemort racing to them almost at the cave.

"_AVADA KEDAVRA_!" he bellowed. Hermione jumped out of the way just in time and a crater was made in the rock behind them.

"There's a big boulder in front of the entrance!" she said.

"Do something, Hermione - anything!" gasped Harry, remembering he still had his wand gripped in his sweaty hand.

"I don't know!" she cried desperately. "I don't know - _Wingardium Leviosa!_" The boulder flew up above the entrance and Hermione quickly crawled inside with Harry and let it fall again.

"He can get in easily," said Harry, who was smushed up against Hermione facing her: there was little room in the cave for two, "He'd just have to use a Reductor Curse and he can get us. I hope he doesn't think of that. Come on, help me take my robes off, I need it for my arm."

"What happened to your arm, anyway?" asked Hermione.

"Nothing...just help me," Harry responded impatiently. The two, with much difficulty, got Harry's black robes off and made him a poorly thrown together sling. Seconds later, the rock in front of the opening of the cave exploded, throwing tiny stones everywhere. Harry and Hermione both turned their heads and closed their eyes, but they impact of the stones were like shards of glass, cutting their faces and skin. They were absolutely trapped. Harry lifted his wand with his free hand.

"_Expelliarmus!_" he said, but Voldemort hung onto his wand, his eyes bulging menacingly.

"I'll kill you first, then the girl," he seethed, "_Avada Kedav_ - " Voices were heard and Voldemort's bald head spun around in the direction of them.

"Never mind, Lupin, Tonks. He's right here." Voldemort turned to look at Dumbledore, who had his wand also raised. Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks scrambled through the trees each from different parts of the area, and joined Dumbledore.

"Tom, I think it's time you get going," said Dumbledore, with an actual trace of amusement in his voice.

"You're not making me let them go this time," Voldemort hissed, "I will have - "

"I'm going to have to," said Dumbledore, and Harry could have sworn that he had sent a tiny smile Harry's way. He looked around him, at Tonks, then at Lupin, and he just wanted to jump out of the cave and hug them both, but he couldn't.

"Tell me, Tom. How long have you been here?" Voldemort remained indifferent, his angry, menacing expression still slapped across his ghostly white face.

"Long enough to discover what I was going to use to kill Potter," responded Voldemort.

"Professor Dumbledore?" came another voice.

"Minerva, we're over here," said Dumbledore. McGonagall climbed through some trees as well and stood next to Lupin.

"Think about it, Tom. You have four members of the Order in front of you and you're concentrated on murdering two sixteen year olds?" said Dumbledore.

"You know perfectly well, Albus that sixteen years ago - "

"I know what happened sixteen years ago, none of us have forgotten," said Dumbledore, shaking his head. "Now...I think it's time you left."

"You do, do you?"

"Yes, I do. You've caused enough trouble in his life to want to stay any longer."

"That," said Voldemort, taking small pauses between each word, "Is. What. I. Want, Dumbledore. You have no idea what it feels like, you being the secondmost powerful wizard - "

"He's the firstmost!" Harry yelled from inside the cave.

"Potter, remain silent," McGonagall simply said.

"I see you've got a few followers as well," said Voldemort. Dumbledore remained unfazed and actually lifted his hand to look at his nails as if this was just a boring conversation between old friends. Voldemort's scowl became more pronounced at this, and he raised his wand.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Dumbledore, without any incantation, lifted his wand at lightning speed and produced a metal shield, that, when the curse hit it, flew forward at Voldemort, encased him in a transparent silver binding. Voldemort screaming loudly inside it for five seconds. Then, the shield wore off, and he lay there panting.

"I've seen you do better, Tom," said Dumbledore. Voldemort flung himself up and stepped up to Dumbledore. He placed his wand tip on the tip of his nose. It was an odd picture: Dumbledore looked at the wand on his nose, cross-eyed, and smiled. He looked like he had gone completely mad. Then, he reached out his other hand and grasped Voldemort's wand tightly. Then, he pulled it completely out of his hand and stuck the point of it onto the pale sorcerer's forehead. He then moved it up onto the top of his head, and said: "_Soluiero Exancracito_." He began pulling his wand up slowly and the white vapor, wiggling madly and screaming, the screams echoing as though they were in a cathedral, was seeping out of the top of Voldemort's body. His face was blank, and his breathing was brief gasps, and when the vapor was entirely free, it said: "You'll regret this, Dumbledore. You'll regret it with every nerve in your sorry body. I'll get what I want. Some day, you'll see that Evil always defeats the Good. That will be when I defeat you." Dumbledore didn't speak, but drew his wand tip back to his shoulder, the white smoke trailing along behind it, and jerked it forward fast. The vapor broke free and flew into the air up above the trees as fast as a bullet from a gun. The body of Voldemort was still standing awkwardly before them, and the scene seemed frozen. Dumbledore looked at the unoccupied body and smiled a bit. He then looked at Harry, still smiling, walked to the entrance of the cave, bent down, and held out his hand.

"Come, Harry. You need your rest. You as well, Miss Granger. Come on," he said. Harry took the headmaster's hand with his free one and pulled himself to his feet. When he did, he put his hand to his head, suddenly very dizzy. Then, his eyes rolled back into his head, he felt himself falling, and everything went black.  
  
A/N: Officially, the sequel is coming out **_DECEMBER 12TH, 2004._** I won't have enough time to rest from this story if I post it in November, what with still having to write one last chapter, so December it is. Review!!!! Oh, hey and guess what? I forgot about Crookshanks. lol. Oh well. Who cares about Crookshanks?? TOO MANY CHARACTERS! The rest of them are more important.  
Keep alert for the next chapter...I'll send you an email when it's finished if you review and tell me to!!!!


	15. Closing the Year

Harry Potter and the Golden Bell  
Chapter 15  
Closing the Year  
  
A/N: LAST CHAPTER!!!! (parties) I really hope you just lurved Chapter 14!!  
  
I own nothing but the Glanadian Rash, Alphodus Bigley, and the plot. Now onto the story!!  
  
"Shh! He'll be sleeping!"

"Mum, he's not dead." Harry opened his eyes to find himself back in the Infirmary, the next morning, with Ron and Mrs. Weasley hovering over him. When she saw that Harry was awake, she smiled. The door creaked open at the other side of the room.

"Are you feeling allright, dear?"

"Well of course he's not feeling allright," said Fred, who had just entered with George, Tonks, and Lupin, "I wouldn't expect you to feel allright after battling one of the most powerful wizards in the world."

"Second to Dumbledore, of course," said George.

"Is Anna-Nicole okay?" asked Harry immediately.

"She's over in the neighboring bed. And Hermione's on your other side, see?" said Mrs. Weasley. Harry moved his still aching head in the direction of Hermione's bed, and saw her there snoozing. Harry's upper arm down to his elbow was wrapped in a white bandage, with smaller bandages on other parts of his arm. His glasses, sitting on the night table, had been cleaned and repaired.

"Nice job, mate," said Ron, "I insisted on coming, but Hermione wouldn't let me."

"You didn't exactly miss a party," said Harry gloomily, "Besides, even if you had been there, none of us could have gotten away if it hadn't been for Dumbledore." Lupin sat on Harry's bedside and put his hand on his leg, shrouded by the bed's blanket. "I'd still say you did a better job than most sixth years would have," he said, smiling a bit. Harry smiled as well.

"Don't forget how special you are, Harry," he continued. Mrs. Weasley smiled and nodded. "Not because of your scar, but because you have something that many don't have at your age - courage." Harry shook his head.

"I was terrified," he said.

"But you took on the challenge; you went through with your plan. You weren't about to back down because you were worried about your death and hers," he gestured towards the sleeping form of Anna-Nicole. "Did it occur to you that when Lord Voldemort left her body to reunite with his own, he could have easily extracted hers as well?" Harry shook his head, then thought a moment.

"He did say that he felt that she had served her purpose."

"Exactly," said Lupin, "If he felt just that, he would have killed her. But, for reasons unknown, he didn't."

"Professor Lupin," said Harry slowly, "If he was possessing her and he could read and control her mind, could she read his? I mean...supposing she was aware of his presence, of course."

"Unless she was extremely talented at Leglimency, I'd say no," answered Lupin.

"He is, although," said Tonks, "That's how he knew your plan - he's talented at Leglimency...very talented."

"But Professor Snape told me last year that it couldn't be possible for anyone to perform Leglimency from such a far distance away," said Harry. He hoped that he wouldn't get the answer that he did. Lupin drew in a breath and said, "Remember last year when Voldemort sent that image into your mind of Sirius being tortured while inside the Hall of Prophecy?" Harry nodded.

"Lord Voldemort has mastered the unknown skill of reading your mind from long distances - even if you and he were thousands of miles apart - because of your link to him. And the bell...it attacked you that night because Voldemort ordered it to stun you and anyone around you, so that he could, in Anna-Nicole's body, of course, sneak into your dormitory unseen and capture you. He didn't succeed that way, but Hermione took the bell out to the Library, so he got the bell, which was the one other thing he wished to gain back."

"Where's Dumbledore?" asked Harry.

"Oh yes, that reminds me," said Lupin, "Professor Dumbledore wishes to see you later today when you feel well enough to go to his office." Harry nodded. "And don't forget," he added as an afterthought, standing up and pocketing his hands, "Exams tomorrow." He smiled a bit, and Harry did in return, though not grateful at all for this second reminder. He hadn't studied much at all the past few days, and he was certain that he could barely manage passing at the rate he was going.

---::---

A while later, Hermione awoke and chatted with the visitors while Ron left for a few minutes to fetch them both fresh outfits to change into. Madame Pomfrey permitted Harry to unwrap his arm (it had fully healed except for a long black bruise) and he could move it now, though his head still throbbed slightly when he sat and stood. The three walked together to Dumbledore's office and when they reached it, Harry drew a small sheaf of parchment that Lupin had given him. Written on it was the password to Dumbledore's office.

"Jelly Slug," he said, then turned to Ron and Hermione as the stone gargoyle began to revolve on its stone pedestal. "I'll see you both back in the Common Room when I'm through, allright?"

"Good," said Hermione importantly, "We can study together up until dinner."

"Er...actually if we're going to be studying the whole time," said Harry, looking at Ron briefly, "I think we're going to want some fresh air...meet me in the Grand Courtyard instead."

"Allright, then," said Hermione, "Bye."

"See you, mate," said Ron. Harry waved and stepped onto the stairs. When he got to the large doors, he pushed them open and went inside Dumbledore's enormous office. The room was empty and silent, save for tinkling sounds emitting from trinkets and elegant machinery that Harry had no clue the purposes they had. The headmaster's golden and silver balls and rings were floating around in midair, and the portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses pretended to be snoozing in their frames. Some opened one eye to sneak a peek at Harry, but closed it after a few seconds. Harry stepped up the stairs nearing the desk, and said, "Professor Dumbledore?" Moments later, Dumbledore appeared on the balcony, his hand elegantly resting on the rail, looking down at Harry smiling, his eyes twinkling. Harry remembered, when he saw his headmaster like this, that last year around the same time of year, he had been screaming and throwing things around the large office. He felt a tiny wave of guilt surge through him at this thought. Dumbledore walked down the stone steps and over to Harry. He folded his hands across his chest on top of his beard and gave Harry's person an appraising look. His eyes rested on a marble-sized gash on Harry's right cheekbone from when the boulder had exploded, but save for a barely noticeable fleeting look of pity, he reacted not a bit. Harry did notice this look and supposed that possibly even though the cut wasn't terrible, it symbolized the rest of the pain that he had experienced the night before, and made Dumbledore a bit sad. After all, he had known him longer than anyone - save for his aunt, uncle, and Hagrid even, and it was even possible that the headmaster was caring for Harry as his own son; a relationship much different than that of a teacher and student. After a few seconds silence, Dumbledore smiled again, the slightest bit, walked to his desk, and stood behind it. Harry sat in the chair in front of the desk, and when he did, the headmaster sat in his own chair.

"You...wanted to see me?" Harry asked, "Professor?" He felt he could have said anything else, but the silence was beginning to kill him, and he was confused now, thinking about the man before him. Dumbledore nodded.

"I've puzzled you yet again this year by one of my actions." Harry glanced at Phineas Nigellus, who was sitting in his chair, his hand resting on two fingers, his elbow propped on the arm of his chair, listening intently.

"When you came to my office with Mr. Weasley asking for help with Anna-Nicole, I told you that you should solve the problem on your own - you remember that, don't you?" Harry nodded, and Dumbledore lifted his chin slightly, as if thinking what to say next, and continued.

"Everything I've told you has helped you in the end, Harry. I always have a reason for what I do, and there is one for this. It is that you are sixteen years old now - nearing manhood. Yes it is true that it is mine or the Ministry's job to take care of these problems and you, but I was testing you this year. When you are in your seventh year next year, as the prophecy that you heard last year states, either Voldemort or you shall survive. That time in your life next year will be the most important event you will ever live through. If you fail, the results could be absolutely drastic." At this, Harry's stomach churned. This had reminded him that the fate of the entire wizarding world rested upon him; that in his final year at Hogwarts, he would either live or die. Dumbledore went on again after a short pause.

"If you are not able to duel Voldemort with the same amount of energy throughout the battle, you will most definitely not succeed in destroying him for good. Almost every encounter you have had with him, you have won while hanging on by a thread - most of it being luck. Things showing up in the nick of time to save you, people showing up to save you. It will not be like that next year. You will be on your own. It will be you and him, and possibly a number of Death Eaters. Miss Granger came for you because she cared about you. She was one of the very few people that knew what you were planning on doing, so she rushed down to your aid. Mr. Weasley had tried to talk her out of it because he cared in turn about her, and when he did not succeed in constraining her, he ran straight to me. I contacted Tonks and Lupin, who naturally came as quick as they possibly could, and McGonagall had been in the hall to help Ronald get into my office, so she came with the party to search for you in the forest. We listened for noise and watched for colored sparks, and found the pair of you just before you would have been killed or even more seriously injured. As I said, I will not help you in your last duel. I should say...during your last duel. I would like to see you personally in my office next year after dinner twice a week for dueling lessons. These lessons will include not only simple spells, but highly complicated spells such as the Soul Extracting spell I demonstrated last night."

"I wondered about that," said Harry, trying his best to keep his excitement within himself - Dumbledore had agreed to teach Harry personally and this was indeed a great honor. "How - ?"

"Yes, a very advanced spell. It can only be performed on restless souls - souls that move around, such as Voldemort's, from being to being. It can seem useless to learn, but when the time comes, it can be very vital. The only way to extract that soul is to use that person's own wand. You begin by placing the wand tip at the very middle of the forehead, which after practicing this spell, is quite easy to find. Then, you drag it slowly to the very top of the person's head, say the incantation, and slowly raise your wand as to separate the soul from the body."

"You'll be teaching me spells like that next year?" asked Harry.

"Not quite as complicated, but the ones I do teach you I expect you to learn so you have them down cold, so as to do them without thinking. We'll also touch on Unforgivables, though I know that you did already in your fourth year with...Crouch Jr. and that you can fight an Imperius Curse, which is quite impressive. But I know you can barely. Miss Granger, who has undoubtedly slaved over books on Unforgivable Curses, can block them excellently, and I would prefer if you can do them as well as she. Now...do you have any other questions before I dismiss you?"

"One...but it doesn't have much to do with this subject...but...through your eyes, what was my father like?" Dumbledore's face grew into a grin.

"When he was your age, I still saw him as a boy. I saw him as a boy that I wasn't sure I would ever see grow up. But when he got friendly with your mother, I knew then that he would. And he did. He was a kind, caring, intelligent, clever man. We were all sorry we lost him, Harry." Harry nodded. There was another awkward silence, and Harry again broke it.

"Well...er...I'm supposed to be meeting Ron and Hermione outside to study..." Dumbledore nodded.

"You're excused," he said. Harry stood, briefly smiled at his headmaster, turned, and walked to the door. Dumbledore stood, smiling, but Harry stopped at the door...his hand inches from the doorknob. He turned around, walked up to Dumbledore, and wrapped his arms around him.  
  
---::---

Harry made his way through the corridors to the courtyard, where he spotted Ron and Hermione sitting on a bench, books open in their laps. Harry took a seat next to Ron, set his own books next to him, removed his Potions notes from the top of the pile, and began looking them over. Everything he read, he didn't take in. He was just looking at words while his mind was off in a completely different place. He was going to take defense from Dumbledore himself next year. The year before, he had to take Occlumency from Snape, and that didn't exactly work out for him, but this time, it would be from the headmaster personally. He was planning on telling Ron and Hermione soon, as if he told them now, they would be too concentrated in studying to give him their full attention, so he didn't at that moment. Ron didn't look as fully absorbed in the Transfiguration notes in his lap, and was looking around the courtyard for an excuse to stand up every five seconds. Hermione, however, was studying hard, without taking her eyes off of her study sheets she made for herself, Ron, and Harry, all of her notes, and her textbooks. Ron read some about turning lizards into hand mirrors, stretched, and looked around again. This time, he did find an excuse to get up. He tapped Harry on the shoulder, and leaned into him, staring out into the middle of the courtyard.

"Is that Fudge?" Harry looked up, and did indeed see Cornelius Fudge having a talk with a tense Professor McGonagall. He tapped Hermione, who looked up finally and gave a tiny gasp.

"What's he doing here?" she asked.

"Shh..." said Harry. He strained his ears hard to listen to the snippets of conversation he could catch through the chattering going on throughout the courtyard.

"Well, I'm afraid you'll have to ask the headmaster about that. We don't normally allow people to come on the grounds unsupervised..." said McGonagall, her voice trailing off, but the rest of her tone sounding completely certain.

"Well, who's "people", Minerva? I'm the Minister of Magic - we're making this school possible, allowing it to run. I don't need "supervision" while doing my job."

"I'm sorry, Cornelius, it's out of my hands. I trust you know where Professor Dumbledore's office is."

"Minerva, I don't understand. I'd just like a look, you know - "

"Why, is there a problem with talking to the headmaster?" asked McGonagall, straightening even more, so she looked as tall and thin as the trunk of a pine tree. Fudge lifted his chin and gave a sort of sound of hesitation, but smiling, and spoke.

"No, not at all!" He said, chuckling, "Why in the name of Merlin would there be a problem?"

"Good. Now, good day, Mr. Fudge." McGonagall left and began striding across the grass in the direction of Harry, Ron, and Hermione as Fudge departed into the castle.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger. I'm awarding you each fifty points for your actions the previous night. Mr. Weasley, take ten for alerting us of the situation." The three smiled and thanked her, she gave a smile and a nod, and made her way back into the castle as well. As soon as she had gone a far enough distance away, Harry and Ron both stood up and gathered their books into their arms.

"Where are you two going?" asked Hermione.

"To see what Fudge is up to," said Harry, "Come on." Hermione stood up, grabbing her books as well, and took off in Fudge's direction. When they were about ten feet behind him, they slowed and tried to look as natural as possible, seizing every opportunity they had to wave at a passing classmate. When they eventually neared the stone gargoyle entrance, Harry pulled his two friends around a corner and peeked his head out. Fudge adjusted his lime green bowler hat, readied him for the password, and just as he opened his mouth to speak, the gargoyle began rotating automatically. Seconds later, Dumbledore appeared on the stairs, descended them, and looked at Fudge. He nodded his head respectively and faced the Minister.

"Cornelius," he said.

"Albus," Fudge said back.

"Did you..." Dumbledore started, obviously about to ask if Fudge needed something.

"Ah, yes." Fudge cleared his throat and continued in an official tone, "The Ministry of Magic feels it important to check growth in the Dark Forest. I am here to take a survey," he lifted his arm, in which he had a brown clipboard, complete with parchment and quill tucked into his underarm, "Of the growth and statuses of the existing plant life. I talked to Minerva McGonagall, but she wouldn't give me permission, and instructed me to come to you."

"Plant growth," said Dumbledore, trying to understand.

"Yes," said Fudge, "It is vital that if any hazardous forms of plant life are present in the Dark Forest, they should be removed immediately." Dumbledore thought a moment, then said,

"Cornelius, I am aware of your ways people. If there is something you want, all you have to do is ask me, and I can help you get your wish."

"Now, Albus, this isn't anything personal, it's a new requirement - from all of the schools, in fact. If a student came into contact with a dangerous plant in the forest...well...you know, the owls you would get..." Dumbledore stared at the Minister, apparently feeling that Fudge was the equivalent to a ten year old selling scout cookies.

"Cornelius," he said slowly, trying to take it in.

"Albus, Albus, Albus. I'm just here for the school's safety! It's the end of the year and it is important that these plants, if any, are removed for risk of them spreading over the summer!" said Fudge. There was another silence, and Dumbledore nodded his head.

"Allright...I don't see why not. When will I see the results?"

"Oh, I'm afraid you won't, Albus. You see, these must be taken straight to the Ministry of Magic so if there is anything harmful in there, we can send an official to the forest immediately."

"Are you alone today, Cornelius?"

"Yes, unfortunately. Alphodus Bigley, who agreed to join me, came down with a severe type of Glanadian Rash on his face and arms."

"I see...well, mister Fudge, I give you permission to proceed down to the forest. If you have any questions, I trust you know where I'll be..?"

"Of course. Thank you, Albus." Fudge tipped his bowler hat atop his head, and took off bouncily in the other direction. Once Dumbledore was out of sight, Harry, Ron, and Hermione came out of hiding and ran up to the Common Room, said the password, and clambered through to the deserted common room.

"Fudge is up to something," said Harry definitely, dropping his load of books on a sofa.

"Plant growth?" said Ron, "Is that the best he could come up with?"

"Dumbledore won't let it slide," said Hermione, "You know that. He'll find out what Fudge is really doing in there in the blink of an eye, and if it's illegal, we may see ourselves with a new Minister of Magic.

"I can't believe Dumbledore didn't realize there was something peculiar about that," said Ron,

"I mean, he shows up here out of the blue at the end of the year asking to look at the foliage on the grounds."

"What do you reckon he's doing in there, anyway?" asked Hermione.

"Well, considering it has to do with the Forbidden Forest, it could just as easily have something to do with last night...but Fudge isn't a Death Eater, it can't have to do with Voldemort," said Harry, beginning to pace. "Although...he might have been searching for proof that he was here last night."

"If he was the other person with Lucius Malfoy guarding me, then it has to have something to do with Voldemort. And it it was him who was guarding me, then he probably is a Death Eater," said Hermione.

"But he can't be, it doesn't fit," said Ron, "Fudge didn't want to accept Voldemort was back because it would disturb his outlook on everything like that. He couldn't possibly have not believed it because he was trying not to get back in Voldemort's scene...like - what if he's like Snape? A former Death Eater? But unlike Snape, still loyal."

"Maybe...and you have to remember...he favors pure bloods," said Hermione.

"So?" said Ron, "Voldemort's not pure himself."

"He doesn't like Half-Bloods or Muggle Borns," said Hermione, "He may not be pure, but he doesn't like them, and neither does Fudge."  
"But he doesn't - " Harry stopped. "Hang on. Ron - remember when you mentioned Anna-Nicole's mother being a Death Eater?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You were right about that. She didn't feel comfortable talking about her mum. Her mum possibly may have tipped off Voldemort about her daughter fancying me...she's an easy target, an obvious option, a known instrument by Voldemort's group. But what Fudge could be doing in the forest completely baffles me." Harry crossed his arms, leaned against a wall, and found himself watching a portrait of two children playing catch with a fat toad. Hermione sighed, then picked up her Charms notes. She began lazily leafing through them, occasionally pausing to read them.

"Come on, Ron," said Harry, standing up straight. Hermione looked up.

"Now where are you off to?" she asked.

"Hagrid's," said Harry. He ducked out of the portrait hole with Ron, and it was almost dinner when they returned. Hermione seemed quite grateful for this, as she had had valuable hours of study time. The visit had been uneventful, only the subject of Voldemort, Fudge, and Lucius Malfoy were discussed. When dinner did come, the three assembled themselves at the Gryffindor table to eat. Anna-Nicole didn't seem to be eating anything over at the Ravenclaw table. She was busy toying with her food with the fork grasped in her hand. When Harry saw this, his heart sank, he sighed, and went back to his pudding.  
  
---::---

When exams came the next day, it seemed that it wasn't only Harry and Ron who were the only ones unprepared for the tests: the whole school seemed to be rushing about, to and from the library, and sweating hard during their exams. Hermione had been in the grumpy mood she got in every year during exam time, which made her extremely hard to be around. On Sunday, when exams ended, Harry felt he did average overall on all of his exams, but wasn't at all happy with his performance. If he had just had some extra time to study, he might have done better, and he knew that this would affect his choice to become an Auror.  
  
---::---

Monday and Tuesday were both off for students. Many went outside swimming, hanging around on the grounds, laughing and chattering. Hermione spent most of Monday in the library reading, while Harry and Ron both went water wrestling in the lake and afterwards went to the Quidditch Pitch with Neville and the Creevey brothers. Colin and Dennis both showed a bit of improvement after the time, Neville as well. On Tuesday, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all met in the Common Room and joked around with fellow Gryffindors, and when they were gone, planned to start up Dumbledore's Army again the next year. Ron had the idea, and Harry and Hermione both couldn't be happier about the suggestion. They planned out what they were going to do with the rest of the group for hours. They'd go to Dumbledore the following year for approval, sure that he wouldn't give them a hard time, and then they would meet on Wednesdays after classes in the Room of Requirement. The rest of Tuesday was lazy. They went for a walk around the lake and went to Hagrid's and hung around there for a while until dinner - the feast. All of the students funneled into the Great Hall for the going away feast, Gryffindor's flags surprisingly waving around the hall.

"We won, Harry!" exclaimed Hermione.

"Last time I checked, Ravenclaw was ahead of us," said Ron, "and i checked earlier today."

"Someone must have gotten some points at the end of the day," said Harry, "Or lost them." They assembled on the benches and awaited the moment that Dumbledore would stand up to the podium and make his speech. When he did, there was definitely a sad note in his voice, as there always was at the end of each year.

"Yes, the year is over. For many of you, your last year here, and for an even greater many, your time at Hogwarts just beginning.

"As you can see, Gryffindor has won the house cup this year. After a few good deeds today on Gryffindor's part, and a very serious bad one on Ravenclaw's part, Gryffindor has managed to pull ahead just 10 points from Ravenclaw." There was mingled applause and whoops, the Slytherins remaining absolutely indifferent, thinking of their mere 229 points.

"On a more serious note, many of you may not know this, but sometime before the end of the year, Voldemort entered Hogwarts, completely undetected, this time also using a student...a Ravenclaw student." Harry looked at Anna-Nicole, who looked just like one of the other students, listening. How was it she didn't know? She didn't get the _Prophet_?

"Just days ago, he was removed from the premises by myself, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger, along with three other adults, hopefully now thinking about whether he should chance re-entering the school again. Nevertheless, the end of the year has come again sooner than hoped, I'm sure. Tomorrow, you will get up at seven o'clock and ride the carriages to Hogsmeade Station, where you will board the train to go home." He looked around at the teachers, and when he saw that no one had anything to add, said, "Tuck in."  
  
---::---

"Harry! _HARRY_! Oh, sorry about that - Harry!" Harry stopped and turned to see Anna-Nicole just emerging from the sea of people filtering out of the Hall. She caught up and smiled. He smiled back, and looked at Ron and Hermione, who both exchanged smiles themselves, and made their way back to the common room.

"Listen...um...I have a question. What happened a week ago?" Harry's smile faded and he glanced over his shoulder.

"Come on." he began walking with her in the direction of Ravenclaw Tower. "You were that Ravenclaw student," he said gently. "I'd tried to tell you, but every time, something up, and interrupt me. Over a week ago, I brought you into the Forbidden Forest to fulfill a plan I had in order to get Voldemort away from you, and from me. He had found out your liking for me...and chose you to possess in order to kill me." He looked at Anna-Nicole, who looked completely frozen. They stopped walking and pulled over to the side of the hall.

"I almost killed you," she said quietly. Harry nodded, and she looked up into his face, and a tear slid down her cheek. He bunched up a part of his sleeve and wiped it from her face.

"I like you, Anna-Nicole. But with Voldemort possessing you, I couldn't come near you. Every time I did, my scar would burn and I'd see him in you. And uh..." Harry scratched the back of his neck, "I was wondering...if you could tell me about your mother." Anna-Nicole again looked at him.

"I really need to know this. It's much too important for you to not tell me." Anna-Nicole looked down, and stared at her feet.

"When I was younger, my mother joined Voldemort. She left my father and I and became a Death Eater. She and my father haven't split up, but he considers her as good as dead. He's begun dating again, my father. Trying to fill the space in him and in the house with a woman who's loyal to he and I. How did you know?" she looked up.

"A few others already know...I heard it from Ron Weasley. We think that your mother has something to do with all of this," said Harry.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she did. She doesn't care about me anymore, the witch." She wrapped her arms around Harry and buried her face in his chest. He was taken aback by this, but put one arm around him and pat her on the back. This wasn't the first time that a girl had cried on him...he remembered too well when Cho Chang had spilled her guts out onto Harry's robes a year ago. When Anna-Nicole finally stopped, he walked her the rest of the way to the tower, and walked back to his own, hands in the pockets of his pants, thinking.  
  
---::---

"Harry, get up! You need to pack!" Harry woke up with Hermione shouting him awake, and he jumped out of bed seeing the time. He got dressed and threw everything in a jumble into his suitcase. Moments later, everyone met outside to catch the carriages to go to the station. Once they got there, Harry climbed out of the carriage, met by Hagrid.

"I'll be seein' you three next year," he said with a pained smile. Harry, Ron, and Hermione smiled up at him.

"Of course we will, Hagrid," said Hermione.

"Don' have too much fun over the summer, Harry," said Hagrid.

"I won't," he said, smiling a bit. In reality, it wasn't much of a joke. The last thing Harry wanted to do was spend three months with the Dursleys after his year at Hogwarts. They gave their giant friend a goodbye hug, and stepped into the train home, Harry with a heavy heart, more than disappointed it was over. The three got a compartment, and waited for the train to move. Harry looked out the window and watched Hogsmeade Station pull out of view, Hagrid becoming a tiny waving speck in the distance.  
  
**A/N:** Now I'm sad it's over! (cries) NOW I have time for 30 Tasks and Diamond Studded Compass...and the sequel!! lol. I'm on chapter 4 right now in that and i'll have chapter 1 out for you on DECEMBER 12TH. Special thanks to chris, katrina, Kat Johnston, Lynn Caraway, PhelpsFan04, Wolfgirl64, sammac400, Palmi, omgimdead, baie-baie, ur friend, Snidgetlass, Ashley, Ari, Mudd, Eggo Waffles, Lori, MuShU gIrL, Mrs.L.P.Weasley, szhismine, gallopingcat5, SciFi129, Nistrale, Ashley Potter13, hpgirl, Buzzingbee, NaughtyTautology, anna from mugglenet, NYCDreamerGirl, ginny, HT, NarcissaM, The-Phoenix67, imadork, muggle dork, lauren, Pigwidgeon, ME child of light, ILoveSnape, Amber, kristy, HoshiHikari, Elfie, inkheart, Natalie, griffin14, Rae Carson, Voldemort, Danielle, alisha, AandKerock, Someone, and epona for reviewing up to this time!! I hope to get some more reviews after I post this...this series has been the best so far. If you wish to receive special information and BEHIND THE SCENES stuff about Golden Bell, tell me in your review!!!! Thank you, everyone for reading!

See you December 12th!

_Love,_

Meredith _**xox**_


	16. Dear Readers

**Dear Readers,**

Well, December 12's come and gone, and I feel it appropriate to alert you now of the posting of the sequel to my hit story, Harry Potter and the Golden Bell. The sequel is called Harry Potter and the Golden Bell 2: Secrets of the Bell, and can be viewed by checking my profile for HPGB2: Secrets of the Bell! Please _please _review!

I know I said that I would post more of Harry Potter and the Diamond Studded Compass and Harry Potter and the 30 Tasks but I think I just needed a rest. I have been writing the sequel, though, and at this point I'm almost at chapter 6. I am promising you, folks, that the sequel is in my opinion even better than the first one. I apologize for lack of posting.

Anyway, thank you so much, readers for doing what you do best for me, READING! And of course reviewing, because you know I love those reviews! It doesn't hurt, people! Especially since I've been completely absent of reviews for my entire break.

Thanks much!

Love,  
Meredith xox


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